Blood vs Iron
by SuperSwanky69
Summary: The nation of Japan as we know it had collapsed. Part of a global catastrophe, the government had broken down under pressures of revolution, leaving the island chain in anarchy. luckily, the mantle of authority had been passed to the dozens of schools that dotted the country. But as they gained power and land, conflicts began to broil. Can diplomacy and friendship avoid war?
1. War Without Bloodshed

**Chapter One: War Without Bloodshed**

There was a large, rolling green field, complete with small patches of trees and the occasional house. The wind blew gently, swaying the trees. The scene was serene and peaceful, if not for the dozen or so tanks laying in ruins, smoke pouring out of the open compartments. Dead girls sprawled across the ground, eyes staring blankly into the sky. Blood spilled from their bodies, soaking the dirt below them. The tanks ranged from Polish TKS tankettes, 7TPs and 9TPs, to French FT-17s and R35s.

From a 7TP tank crawled out a girl, all bloodied and bruised. Her one eye was black, and her brown hair was crumpled up, wet with blood. With shaking hands, she took out a handheld radio. "2nd Corps to command. 2nd Corps to command. We have engaged with the 8th Kuromorimine Kampfgruppe, but have been annihilated. They are heading your way. I repeat, Kuromorimine is heading your way!" She coughed out. With that her eyes rolled backwards, and she slumped forwards, dead.

 **Ooarai Girls High School**

A girl in a sailor uniform skipped across the street, her light brown hair bobbing up and down. She quickly ran into the convenience store, and in a few minutes came out, with several bento boxes in her arms. She smiled cheerfully as she ran through the neighborhood, up into a apartment complex. She stopped by a door, and knocked a couple of times.

The door opened, and a girl with wavy hair peered out. "Miporin!" She shouted. "You're late. Everyone is already here!"

"Sorry, Saori-san." The girl apologized. Saori laughed. "It's alright. Come in!" Both girls walked into the room, where three more girls were sitting there. One girl stood up and saluted. "Welcome back, Nishizumi-dono!" She shouted. The girl chuckled. "Thanks, Yukari-san."

A tall girl was kneeling, fiddling with some flowers. "Miho-san, that was really long to buy us some lunch." She said. Miho looked in her arms. There were nearly half a dozen boxes. "Sorry, Hana-san," Miho placed all the bento boxes on the table. "Well, here you go." She said. She looked around. "Where's Mako-san?" She asked.

From underneath the table a girl rose up, her eyes half closed. "Is there cake?" She demanded.

"We'll get some later." Miho replied. Mako nodded. "Good." She said.

They began eating their bento lunches.

"This is good!" Saori exclaimed.

"I will replicate these for future rations!" Yukari shouted. Miho grinned. "These are the best, aren't they?" She asked.

"I could eat a ton of these." Hana said as she eagerly took several pieces of teriyaki chicken. Saori glanced at her. "Please don't." She told her.

"Senshadou practice sure is tiring." Hana said. Saori nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's much harder than before." Miho took a piece of chicken with her chopsticks. "The student council was able to get a contract on a couple of new tanks. They'll come in a week at the least." Miho said. Yukari almost jumped up. "What kinds of tanks are we getting?" She asked.

"I don't know. They haven't told me yet." Miho answered.

"Oh, okay," Yukari slunk down. "I hope something heavy, like a Tiger." She mumbled.

"We could become like Kuromorimine." Saori waved her hand around. Miho looked down. "Kuromorimine…" She whispered.

"Oh yeah, that's where your sister is." Mako droned. Miho nodded. "Yeah, I haven't seen her ever since the collapse…" Everyone grew silent. They all remembered the day when the life they knew ended. It was a almost a year ago, when world flipped upside down. War took control of the entire the world. Countries broke apart as the governments crumbled into pieces, unable to contain the uprisings and revolutions that took place. Taking its place were bands of armed groups, organizations and survivors taking advantage of the situation. From the ashes of war rose hundreds of new nations, all vying for power and control. Millions of people have already died in the last year.

Japan was no different. After the government fell the dozens of schools, such as Pravda, Saunders and St. Gloriana took over vast swathes of former Japanese territory. The entire island chain of Japan was split up between the schools, a shaky peace set up by the heads of the school, who were once classmates, now leaders of new-born nations. In the subsequent events, several schools had to be evacuated and relocated to different parts of Japan, and a few were even destroyed. Fortunately,Ooarai had not been one of them, who was led by the charismatic President Kadotani Anzu and her staff. They were one of the smaller countries, but had maintained friendly relations with its surrounding neighbors.

"It's a miracle the president kept us out of the surrounding conflict," Hana said. "She really is good at diplomacy."

"We're basically stuck here though," Yukari continued. "We can't leave Ooarai. Our Senshadou team is small and hopelessly outmatched by the others."

"It's peaceful here. I'm glad of our current situation, to be honest." Mako added. Miho nodded. "Yeah, and I'm glad I'm with all my friends," She said, smiling. "We're safe here."

"Yeah! No one's going to attack a little school like Ooarai." Saori said.

"Though things are getting tense nowadays…" Yukari said. "Especially Pravda and Kuromorimine, who are growing even stronger. St. Gloriana and Maginot are trying to keep them from acting out, and Saunders is a lonely giant."

Miho looked at the empty bento boxes. "How about we go get some dessert?" She propositioned.

"Yaay, cake." Mako groaned. She slowly stood up, swaying as she rose. The five girls filed out of the house, going outside.

"There's a new cake shop downtown. Let's go there." Saori said.

"Yeah, let's go." Miho agreed. They walked down the street, chatting and laughing as they went.

A few blocks down, in an office building, three girls worked feverishly, signing off stacks of papers and documents. Actually, only two girls worked. The other one, a short girl with red twin ponytails, was munching on sweet dried potatoes while leaning on a swivel chair. "Good job, you guys. Keep up with the good work." She said to the other two girls. One girl, a tall girl with short black hair turned around. She wore a monocle on her right eye. "President, please work!" She pleaded as she signed another paper. The third girl, with brown hair in a ponytail, placed a hand on her shoulder. "Momo-chan, we're almost done this stack." She said. The taller girl turned to the third girl. "Don't call me Momo-chan!" She shouted, and the other girl chuckled. Anzu leaned over. "Don't sweat over it you guys." She threw a potato into her mouth, swallowing it whole. Momo glared at her. "President…"

A look of worry washed over the third girl's face, which Anzu noticed. "Koyama, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Yuzu-chan?" Momo said. Yuzu gave Anzu an envelope. "It's from St. Gloriana. I think you should read it."

Anzu furrowed her eyebrows as she took the envelope from Yuzu's hands. She grimaced as she looked through the contents. She handed the envelope to Momo. "Looks like Darjy got herself in a bind." She said.

 **St Gloriana High School**

In the large room, filled with red curtains and carpets two comfortable velvet chairs were placed before the large fireplace. Two girls sat, facing each other. The one on the left had a cup of tea in her hand, her blonde hair tied into a French braid. The one on the right had leaned back into the chair, with her blonde hair flowing down in a long braid that originated as a swirled bun.

"So," The girl on the left started. "Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked. The one of the right grunted in refusal. The one on the left sighed. "Getting right to the point?"

"Darjeeling, what they did is unforgivable! You need to do something!" The one on the right shouted. Darjeeling nodded. "Calm down, Jajka. It was only a checkpoint, was it not?" She replied. Jajka bit her lip. "But that'll only grow. You know that will empower them to act out even more."

Darjeeling put down her cup of tea. "We've got our hands tied up already. Anzio is getting restless and Chi-ha-Tan is threatening their neighbors. And now Kuromorimine is acting up."

Jajka slammed her fist against the armrests. "You have large amounts of influence! Can't you force all the other schools to force Kuromorimine down?" She demanded. "They may be powerful, but they can't fight everybody!"

Darjeeling smiled. "Don't worry. I've sent telegrams to the surrounding schools. They're surely going to act. And Kuromorimine has Pravda to contend with. Do you really think they're going to launch an attack when they're being threatened."

Jajka looked down. "Pravda, huh…" She clicked her tongue in disgust. "I hate them…" She muttered. Darjeeling sighed. "But they're the only ones that can really scare them. We can threaten them, but they only fear Pravda." She said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Jajka slumped further down. "I know. But I feel so helpless right now. I can't even protect my school without begging for help!" She cried.

Darjeeling stood up and walked over to Jajka and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Shh, don't worry. Things will work out." She whispered. Jajka looked up at her. "You're my only friend. Everyone else hates me." She whimpered.

"Don't say that. St. Gloriana and her allies will always support Bonple." Darjeeling reassured her. Nodding, Jajka straightened up and wiped her tears. She put up a cold look. "I look forward for your support." She said. She flipped her cape as she turned and left, leaving Darjeeling chuckling.

 **One Week Later**

Darjeeling had been serious about her promise; she had even set up a courtroom, with herself presiding as judge. From the door filed in girls from all corners of Japan; Her ally Eclair, from the Maginot school came in first. She wore her blue uniform, and dark hair swished as she waved at Darjeeling. Next was Asparagus, the head of BC Freedom. A tall, imposing figure, she nodded at Darjeeling. Next was Anchovy, Duce of Anzio. She wore the usual Anzio uniform, along with a black cape draping over her back. Her hair was tied into large twin ponytails. She gave a thumbs up. Next was the commander of Chi-ha-Tan, Kinuyo Nishi. She bowed at Darjeeling, who returned it with a wave. Then sauntered in Anzu, who with a large grin plastered on her face walked up to Darjeeling. "How you feeling, Darjy?" She asked. Darjeeling smiled. "Good. How about you?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Just fine!" Anzu shouted.

"President, please sit down!" Momo whispered from behind her. Anzu pouted as the two of them sat down at the benches.

Within thirty minutes the benches were filled up. Darjeeling scanned the room; Gregor, Blue Division, Yogurt, Waffle, Keizoku and other schools had come. She was overcome with worry; Neither Saunders or Pravda, her trump cards had come. She sighed in resignation. This was going to be harder than she previously thought. She saw Jajka sitting in the corner of the first row of benches, tapping her foot nervously.

Finally, in came the representative of Kuromorimine; A girl with long light blonde hair, wearing the black uniform of Kuromorimine marched in, flanked by two other girls. She looked around the room, and scoffed. "What is this, an international tribunal?" She demanded. Darjeeling motioned her to the chair in the middle of the floor, in front of the judges bench. "Sit down, Erika. We have things to discuss." Erika scowled, and proceeded to walk down to the chair.

"Now, let's start things," Darjeeling exclaimed. "But, does anybody want any tea?" She asked. Several hands went up. Darjeeling counted. "Assam, Orange Pekoe, would you mind serving our guests some tea?" A blonde and an orange haired girl began pouring tea to the girls, who took it eagerly. Darjeeling looked at Erika. "How about you?" Erika turned her head. Darjeeling shrugged. "Oh well."

"Now, what Kuromorimine did was a breach of the agreement all of us sighed at the beginning of last year. To deliberately attack another school in such a manner will not go unpunished," Darjeeling said. "We will not stand by and let you do as you please."

Erika smiled, though it was filled with scorn. "Oh, really. What are you going to do about it?" She asked in a mocking tone. Darjeeling frowned. "You will have to pay Bonple three million yen, and will hand over the ones responsible for the incident." She stated.

Erika's mouth open in complete and utter shock. "That's ludicrous!" She stammered. "That's insane! Who the hell do you think you are?" Darjeeling cocked her head to the side in mock surprise. "Me? Insane? I'm not the aggressor here. There were over thirty fatalities because of what you did. Their deaths have to be compensated in some way," She said angrily. "And this isn't even the first time this happened. There are numerous cases of Kuromorimine forces harassing the Bonple border."

"Those were all in self defense! We were defending ourselves against Bonple aggression! They would fire at our soldiers, abduct and kill civilians, and even razed dozens of houses! You're going to ignore their crimes but try to stop our retaliation? That's hypocrisy!" Erika shouted.

Jajka stood up from the benches. "Those are lies! We would never do such things! You're trying to pin the blame on the victims!" She hollered. Erika glared at her. "Sit down, you arrogant swine. I'm not talking to you!" She immediately shot Jajka down, who sat back down with her head hung low.

"Erika!" Darjeeling said sternly, and Erika looked back at her. "If these so called crimes did actually happen, where is the evidence? It could be a false flag operation for all we know."

Erika stomped her feet in anger. "I did send you the evidence! You're just straight up lying now!" She screamed. Darjeeling sighed. "Erika, you're the one that is lying. There is no evidence for what you claim, and you never did send me anything."

"And besides," Eclair had stood up. "This isn't about what Bonple did. This is about Kuromorimine. You are the ones that attacked, you must bear the consequences." She stated.

Erika narrowed her eyes, and her voice became was filled with unhidden malice and hatred. "I see it now," She muttered. "I know what's going on. It's a conspiracy," She looked at the benches. "It's a conspiracy against Kuromorimine, and you're all part of it!" She exclaimed.

Everyone looked at each other, surprised. Even Darjeeling was taken aback. "Erika, what are you talking about-" Erika cut her off. "You're all scared of a new power. Kuromorimine is a threat to all of you, so your conspiring to take us down. St. Gloriana and BC Freedom doesn't want Kuromorimine to become their equal, so they're using Bonple as a pawn," She hissed. "We see through all of it. And we are having none of it! You won't stop us, you can't stop us! Just try it, I dare you. You won't bully us anymore!" She lept up from the chair. "Come on, we won't deal with mob justice. We're out." She stomped out of the room.

Anchovy stood up as well. "Look, I don't really like how you guys are doing this. Anzio isn't taken seriously right now and we feel we're being pushed down. And now your pushing around Kuromorimine. Sorry, but I don't feel good hanging with you guys anymore." She inched her way out of the benches and followed Erika.

Nishi stood up as well. "I find it dishonorable that you would attack Kuromorimine for defending themselves against provocation." She announced, before leaving as well. Several other girls stood up and left the room.

"How dare you attack our ally!" The representative of Blue Division shook her fist as she walked out.

The rest of the girls were in a flurry of confusion and panic. Darjeeling, her face wrought with dismay, put her hands over her face. "I made things worse." She mumbled. "I'm no good."

Anzu, Eclair and Jajka walked up to her. Eclair patted Darjeelings shoulder. "You did what you could. They'll come to their senses." She told her.

"They're empty threats, I tell you." Anzu assured her.

"They saw how many people were here. They can't do anything." Jajka grunted. Darjeeling rubbed her eyes. "But did you see how many people walked out? They're on Kuromorimine's side." She whimpered. Anzu laughed. "It was just a statement. They not actually going to do anything."

"I hope so…" Darjeeling whispered.

"Besides, even if Pravda and Saunders weren't here, they won't tolerate Kuromorimine attacking Bonple," Eclair added. "They're basically surrounded. If they attack Bonple in force the rest of us will decimate them."

Darjeeling straightened up. "Maybe you're right. But I want all of you to prepare incase something happens," She turned to the rest of the girls, still sitting in the benches. "All of you should mobilise your forces in the event Kuromorimine does attack, so we can stop them swiftly." Everyone nodded, and began to file out.

"Well, later Darjy." Anzu waved as she walked out the room.

"Best of luck to you." Eclair nodded.

"Thanks." Jajka said before leaving.

The courtroom was empty. Darjeeling sat silently, drinking her tea. Then from her right came the sounds of music, in a slow rhythm. Darjeeling glanced over and saw Mika, the leader of Keizoku strumming her kantele. "What are you still doing here?" Darjeeling asked, curious as to why she hasn't left yet. Mika looked at Darjeeling's way. "I fear the wind is blowing us towards the edge of a cliff. I pray that you will prepare parachutes for all of us." She said cryptically as she walked out, leaving Darjeeling confused.

 **Ooarai airport**

Miho and her friends stood by the airstrip, waiting for the president's return. Yuzu stood alone in the corner, looking through her phone.

Eventually they saw a Douglas DC-2 Commercial aircraft slowly descend down to the ground. It rolled to a halt, and the door opened. Anzu jumped out and hugged Yuzu, with Momo following from behind.

"How'd it go?" Yuzu asked. Anzu signed. "It was what you would call, a 'shit show'." She answered.

"President!" Momo shouted from behind. "Don't use such language." Anzu turned around. "What? I'm not a little kid." She pouted.

"Well, you are little." Hana said. Anzu tugged at her own hair. "You're the tall person here!" She shouted. "You're the abnormal one!"

"It didn't go well." Momo told everybody. "Kuromorimine denied and blamed Bonple. They left soon after angrily."

"Was is my sister?" Miho asked. Momo shook her head. "It was Erika." Miho trembled. "Oh…" She whispered. Saori looked at her. "Are you alright?" She asked. Miho nodded.

"We'll have to train even harder in Senshadou." Anzu said. "We've got new tanks coming in a few weeks." Momo gave her a piece of paper, and she read off of it. "We're getting uh, an AC IV Sentinel, A D.L. 43 "Nahuel", A Fiat 3000 Model 30, MTLS-1G14, and a uh, what was the last one again?" She stared at the paper. "A Bob Semple tank? What is that?" She said in bewilderment.

Yukari laughed. "Bob Semple? We're going to have that mess of a tank?" Saori looked at her quizzically. "What's that?" She asked. Yukari chuckled. "It's an ungodly 'tank', if you call it that. It was created in New Zealand during the war. It's armor and armaments are inadequate, and it was never actually used in combat. It was named after the minister of works, Bob Semple." Yukari shouted excitedly. "The A.D.L. Nahuel was the only Argentinean design during the war, and it was based off the Sherman. It was never used in combat because they didn't actively participate in the war.

The Fiat 3000 was the first native Italian tank, and was used by the Royal Italian Army during the second invasion of Abyssinia and World War II, even though it was obsolete. It's got pretty light armor and guns compared to later tanks.

The MTLS-1G14 was a Dutch variant of the American Marmon-Herrington CTLS that was sent to the Dutch East Indies. They were also used by Indonesian forces in the Indonesian National Revolution.

The AC IV Sentinel was one of the designs that originated from the original AC I Sentinel, which was an Australian tank design from 1942. The IV was an improvement, with a 17-pounder gun, but only one prototype was built." Yukari flailed her arms.

"Oh...okay…" Saori took a few steps back. "I think you should calm down a little." She suggested, and Yukari flushed with embarrassment.

"Anyway, I think our arsenal has gotten a bit bigger. We also got orders for armored cars and armored fighting vehicles," Anzu proudly announced. "So that means," She pointed at Miho. "You are going to work a lot harder from now on." She grinned. Miho smiled. "Okay, it's going to be exciting to be with all my friends." She replied cheerfully.

 **Kuromorimine airport**

A tall girl with short dark hair stood at the edge of the airstrip, wearing the black uniform of Kuromorimine. Her hands were on her hips as she stared intently at the sky.

Within ten minutes a Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 Drache transport helicopter appeared in the sky. The dust flew up as the rotors slowly stopped and the helicopter touched down on the helipad. A girl with short black bangs exited from the cockpit and opened up the door. Erika stepped out of the helicopter and ran over to the waiting girl.

"Commander Nishizumi!" Erika saluted.

"Erika, welcome back." Nishizumi saluted back. "How did it go?" She asked tentatively. Erika hesitated. "Just as you thought. The international community believed Bonple's lies. St. Gloriana had threatened to use force against us, and turned everyone else against us, besides Anzio, Chi-ha-Tan and a few others. We can't negotiate with them."

Nishizumi sighed. "Was Saunders there?" She asked next. Erika shook her head, and Nishizumi formed a tiny smile of relief. "At least they won't get involved for a while." She exhaled. Her face turned stern. "Order all units to prepare for combat with Bonple, St. Gloriana and whoever is trying to threaten us." She ordered. Erika nodded. "Yes commander."

 **Maginot Girls Academy**

"Commander!" A girl saluted as she entered Eclair's office. Eclair smiled. "What is it, Fondue?" She replied.

"There is activity near our border with Kuromorimine. Kuromorimine is increasing their presence on their side of their border, with at least twelve new tanks and several pieces of artillery." Fondue reported. Eclair frowned. "Thank you. We will increase our forces at the border at well. Send three squadrons of fighters down as well." She ordered. Fondue saluted a second time. "Yes, commander!" She exclaimed and ran off.

 **Pravda Girls High School**

A single tall, black haired woman walked down the dark hallway, as lights flickered on and off. Her footsteps resonated off the iron floor, each _clang_ echoing down the hall. She turned a corner and climbed a flight of stairs.

The woman held a small letter, the black cross of Kuromorimine stamped at the top. She glanced at the contents. She knew this was an urgent message for her commander, but she was in no hurry. She knew her commander would be sleeping right now, and would certainly be in a foul mood if woken up. Therefore every step she took was slow and deliberate.

Eventually she ended up at the front of a door. She turned the doorknob and entered the pitch black room. Her fingers scurried across the walls, looking for the light switch. She found it, and flicked them on. A bright light erupted from the ceiling, showering the woman for a second in a sea of white. As her eyes adjusted to the light she saw in the center of a room a large bed. In the bed was a little girl with short, yellow hair, sleeping soundly. Her covers were the emblem of the school, an assortment of school utensils assembled in the manner of the Soviet hammer and sickle, with red in the background. The woman walked over to the little girl and shook her shoulder.

The girl yawned and her eyes fluttered open. Her groggy eyes stared up at the tall woman. "What is it, Nonna?" She demanded in a drowsy tone. Nonna smiled. "Katyusha, you have a letter from Kuromorimine." She informed the little girl. Katyusha stretched her arms and rose up from the bed. "Kuromorimine? What does Mahosha want with me?" She said. Nonna gave her the letter, who snatched it from her hands. She scanned the letter, and once done, she tossed the letter to the side.

"So?" Nonna prompted. Katyusha turned to her. "They want to offer me a deal, about Bonple." She answered. "They want us to attack them simultaneously and split the territories between us. They think it will be easy to manipulate me to force me under their wing?" She shouted.

"Getting rid of Bonple will be beneficial for us." Nonna said. "And having Kuromorimine on friendly terms will also be a good thing in the long-term."

Katyusha thought for a bit. "Well, Jajka is a thorn in my sides. She is uppity and arrogant towards Katyusha, so she should suffer the consequences she deserves." She exclaimed. A big grin crept on her face. "Maybe aligning ourselves with Mahosha isn't a bad idea. We'll be friends with another big school, and Bonple will be crushed. No other schools will be able to face Pravda ever again!" Nonna's eyes twinkled with glee as she stood up and bowed. "Shall I schedule a meeting with Nishizumi Maho?" She asked. Katyusha nodded. "Yeah, do it." She replied. Nonno smiled. "Da, comrade." She said as she left Katyusha's bedroom.


	2. Politics with Bloodshed

**Chapter Two: Politics with Bloodshed**

 **Maginot-Kuromorimine border, Southern Front**

A platoon of girls stood straight at attention by the airstrip, the lieutenant standing in front of her soldiers. They wore dark blue uniforms, with Adrian helmets glistening off the hot summer sun. They all slung MAS 36 rifles and MAS 38 Submachine guns over their shoulders, and the lieutenant had her SACAM Modele 1935 A pistol in her holster. The lieutenant,instead of the Adrian helmet wore a light blue beret, which was hanging off the side of her brown hair tied up in a chignon. Sweat dripped off the rims of her thin glasses.

A set of seven AMC-35 lay dormant behind the formation, their crews standing silently next to their machines.

The silhouette of an ALF Les Mureaux observation aircraft appeared in the sun's rays. It flew down the runway, it's wheels skidding across the concrete. Eventually the aircraft stopped, Two girls stepped out of the cockpit. One of them took off her helmet, and her short maroon hair evoked a salute from the Lieutenant. "Welcome, commander Galette!" She said. Galette raised her hand in return. "Ah, thank you, lieutenant-" She started, but was unable to form a name.

"Lieutenant Rillette, ma'am." The lieutenant replied quickly. Galette nodded. "Lieutenant Rillette. I will be the new commander of this sector." She said. She waved off her pilot, who scurried off with a few mechanics to drag the plane off to the hangar. Rillette and Galette walked off the runway, talking.

"So, how is the situation?" Galette asked. Rillette wiped her forehead. "Kuromorimine is several kilometers off, with fairly heavy concentrations of infantry and armor gathering up just across the river. We have no intel on their air power just yet, but we are figuring that out as we speak. We have been bombarding them with propaganda for the past two days. Our own forces are high in morale and are ready for combat. Our tanks are believed to be superior to those that of Kuromorimine, and our aerial forces are deemed adequate in dealing with whatever they will throw at us. Our positions are well hidden and entrenched."

"Good. Be prepared to launch an offensive strike," Galette told her. "We don't know what will happen, so we need to be prepared to strike preemptively."

"Will St. Gloriana aid us?" Rillette asked.

"No doubt about it. We're going to need to collaborate with them and BC Freedom if we are to defeat the Boche. And the menace in the North are not something to underestimate," Galette answered. "Truthfully, I think diplomacy will fail us." She spat out. Rillette looked on with worry. "Are you sure, ma'am? Kuromorimine is not unreasonable." She reasoned. Galette shook her head. "We've been pushing them hard the past year, and it's finally getting to them. If we've angered them enough they will not hesitate to lash out."

"But won't Anzio restrain them?" Rillette asked.

"Anchovy is an unpredictable person. One day she will try to appease us, the next day she will put her foot down. But I think she feels she is not represented fairly enough either. For her Anzio's political strength is most important. While Anzio on paper is not something to be afraid of, their troops are fiercely loyal to Anchovy and their school. They're known to be good at improvising and lighting attacks. In other words, they're also something for us to keep guard against," Gallette told her soberly. She turned and looked northeast, where Kuromorimine was. "War is coming soon, Lieutenant. Unless something drastic turns everything around, blood will be spilled." Rillette did not fail to notice the look of despair on her face.

 **Kuromorimine Northern Front Headquarters**

Nonna walked across the wooded path, carrying Katyusha on her shoulders.

"Are we almost there?" Katyusha moaned. Nonna smiled.

"Just a bit more, Katyusha." She replied. A mosquito began flying around Katyusha's head, _buzzing_ like crazy. "Ah! Mosquitos everywhere!" She began flailing her arms around. Nonna sighed as katyusha's arm flew past her face. "Please be careful as to where you aim." She said in a bored tone.

They entered a clearing, where there was a large bunker in the center. Two girls in camouflaged uniforms and stahlhelms armed with MP34 Submachine guns stood at guard in front of the doorway. They nodded and opened the door as Nonna came closer. She nodded her head as she entered.

"Nonna! Katyusha!" A voice rang out. Nonna smiled. "Maho-san. Long time no see." She replied.

At the edge of the room was a large table, with Erika and Maho sitting at the end. Nonna sat at a seat from across Maho.

"So, Mahosha. We've both had it rough this past year, huh." Katyusha said. Maho nodded. "Yes, and things are getting especially precarious."

"Darjeeling is pushing things to a dangerous level." Nonna agreed.

"And all for little Bonple?" Katyusha chipped in. "What happened to her?"

"We're all changed. We're just more than high school students now. The responsibility of such magnitude we have now erased all of our camaraderie of before." Maho said. Everyone looked down, taking in what she said.

They went right into discussion.

"Bonple is right in between us. How about we split them up right in the middle?" Nonna suggested. Maho nodded. "Not a bad idea. How long will it take for you to mobilize?" She asked. Katyusha thought for a minute. "A week at the least." She replied confidently. Erika looked horrified. "Commander, they're going to wait until we exhaust our forces and swoop in to take all of Bonple." She whispered in Maho's ear, but was waved off by her. "Nonsense." She replied to Erika's dismay.

"Bonple has light tanks and tankettes, so it won't be necessary to bring out the heavies or mediums." Maho said.

"And their air force is abysmal." Katyusha exclaimed.

"What are we going to do with Jajka?" Nonna asked.

"We'll take her, obviously!" Katyusha told her. Maho gave her a cold look, causing her to lean back on Nonna.

"It'll be whoever captures her," Maho replied. "We'll take her prisoner. You can do whatever you like."

"How about the surrounding territories?" Erika pointed out. Nonna nodded. "You will go west when dealing with Maginot, BC Freedom, will you not?"

"There's also Waffle, Tulip, Gregor and a few others to deal with. Viking Fisheries is close to St. Gloriana, along with Grona and….Ooarai." Maho answered. Katyusha laughed. "Good! Then we'll deal with our little neighbors. It's fine if we take White Coast and Keizoku, right?" Maho nodded in affirmation. "I'll have Anzio defeat BC Freedom and Bosphorus."

"How about Chi-ha-Tan?" Katyusha asked. "They're also expanding, right?" Maho leaned back in her chair. "They're going after United Front, if I remember correctly."

"Da, Maho-san." Nonna affirmed. Maho signed. "Not only do both of us have a stake there, but Saunders are watching over them."

Katyusha groaned. "Tell them off, Mahosha." She growled. Maho shrugged. "Nishi won't understand. She's a spontaneous person. I don't think she'll take my advice, to be honest."

Nonna crossed her arms. "That might become a problem later," She noted. " But I think the biggest problem we have is the capitalists-" Erika rolled her eyes at this. "-Saunders might try to stop us for sure."

"I think Key doesn't want to get involved in any conflicts, so for now we shouldn't provoke her," Maho advised. "But, we should keep our guard up."

"Her armor and air fleets are something to watch out for. Personally I would like to strike them when they are not expecting it." Nonna gave her opinion.

"So like the attack on Port Arthur?" Maho guessed. Nonna chuckled. "I guess so," She replied. "We could swarm them from the north, while you can steamroll them from the south."

"Pravda's numbers and Kuromorimine's skill will be impossible to beat back!" Katyusha boasted. Erika smiled for once. "They will all pay for trying to kick us down."

Nonna stood up. "I think we are done here." Maho also stood up, and shook Nonna's hand. "Thanks for coming."

Katyusha looked down at Maho. "We will present our friendship to the world, and nobody can do anything about it!" She shouted with a grin. Maho also smiled. "Yes, good things have come out of this."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Nonna got out a little box. "Some gifts." She said. Maho took them graciously. "Thank you, Nonna, for going through the trouble." She thanked Nonna, who just shook her head. "No problem at all. Katyusha chose this after all." She said.

"Nonna!" Katyusha cried, her face completely red. Nonna, Maho and Erika all broke into a fit of laughter.

Nonna and Katyusha left the bunker, walking back into the forest.

"So," Katyusha said. "Kuromorimine will have to contend with a lot of powerful enemies. That means their armies will be depleted and tired," A malicious from formed on her lips. "We can take them out from behind. They won't expect it,and will realize their mistake for trusting the almighty Katyusha!" She exclaimed. A sad feeling washed over Nonna, but she continued walking. "Yes, Katyusha." She replied somberly.

"What do you think?" Maho asked Erika. She scowled. "They're two-faced liars, I bet. They're waiting for the perfect moment." Maho nodded in agreement. "That, is why we have do deal with St. Gloriana and Maginot quickly."

"Why did you let them take half of Bonple and the northern schools?" Erika demanded.

"You must take risks in diplomacy." Maho told her. "Don't worry. We'll attack them when they least expect it."

 **Chi-ha-Tan-United Front border**

A long stone bridge spanned over the violent river below. A set of railroad tracks crossed along the bridge, crossing the border of both schools.

From the Chi-Ha-Tan side came rolling a steam locomotive through the moonless night. It's black form roared past the Chi-ha-Tan checkpoint, the flag of Chi-ha-Tan flapping in the front from the wind. The train driver was whistling as it sped across the bridge. She adjusted her glasses and took a sip of tea. The tan bowl-shaped helmet wobbled, too big for her head.

The train ran along the bridge, passing it completely in minutes. However, the long line of train cars continued to pass over the bridge.

There was a large explosion; a red and orange cloud mushrooming over the horizon. The train cars flew into the air. There was a large gaping hole in the bridge, dragging the line of train cars into the river. The train driver, stunned, scrambled out of the train as it was dragged backwards. She crawled through the grass, hyperventilating. She stood back up dazed and confused as to where she was. She saw several figures run towards her. As she narrowed her eyes she saw the figures, who wore grey uniforms and light grey stahlhelms, aiming their large bolt action rifles at her. She raised her hands in the air as the figures, now identified as girls, walked right up to her. One of the girls grabbed the train driver by the collar and dragged her away, while the rest ran to the bridge to investigate.

 **United Front High School Next day**

The next day, a tall girl with long black hair was reading _The Art of War_ By Sun Tzu in the small study. She wore a light blue military uniform, with medals jingling from her chest. The emblem of her school, a big yellow sun with Chinese characters in front of a blue background was emblazoned on her armband. Her peaked hat sat comfortably in front of her raised hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. She lay on her couch, flipping through the pages of the book.

The door burst open, and a short girl stormed in. "Generalissimo!" She shouted. The girl closed the _The Art of War_ and looked back at the short girl. "What?" She demanded. The shorter girl stepped forwards. "There was an explosion near the Chi-ha-Tan border by the big bridge." She reported. The taller girl jumped off the couch. "What? How?" She shouted. The shorter girl fidgeted. "We don't really know for sure, Chi-ha-Tan sent a team to investigate too."

"Why? The bridge is on our side of the border." The taller girl exclaimed. The shorter girl gulped. "Well, there happened to be a train from Chi-ha-Tan on the bridge during the explosion. We brought her in for questioning, though she is in quite a state of shock." She quickly said. The taller girl groaned. "This is a problem. A big problem." She muttered. The shorter girl scratched her head. "Chi-ha-Tan is demanding compensation for the destroyed bridge, the return of the driver and the extradition of the perpetrator."

The taller girl gasped. "What? Those bastards. We didn't do it," She started pacing around. "It could have been them, trying to trick us," She stopped. "It could be one of the Red Dragon bitches. They could have done this to anger Chi-Ha-Tan against us!" She exclaimed. The shorter girl was confused. "How would that benefit them?" The taller girl looked at her. "This would discredit us in the eyes of the rest of the schools, and we would lose support. They would count on us being helpless against Chi-Ha-Tan. They would then beat off both Chi-Ha-Tan and us. We can't let this happen," She said. "Of course, that would be impossible. We are backed by not only Saunders, but by Kuromorimine as well! Their only ally is Pravda, the enemy of the entirety of Japan."

"Generalissimo!" Another girl skidded into the room. "Our border guards are skirmishing with Chi-ha-Tan border troops." She saluted. The taller girl slammed her hand against her forehead. "Shit!" She cursed. "Do they not want a peaceful solution?" She inhaled deeply. "Repel all attacks and move into Chi-Ha-Tan." She ordered. The shorter girl's jaw dropped. "An invasion, ma'am?" She asked incredulously. The taller girl nodded. "We'll teach them a lesson."

Then a tall girl with short hair entered the room. She wore a light green jacket and was blowing bubble gum. The taller girl looked at her. "Naomi!" She shouted. Naomi waved her hand. "Yo, Zhejiang," She said. "How's everything?"

"Bad. It seems Chi-Ha-Tan is getting aggressive, over something nobody is really sure of. We didn't do anything, that's for sure." Zhejiang replied. Naomi plopped herself down on a chair. "Hm, I think I get it. What do you think happened?"

"I don't know. It could be a false flag operation. They set up the explosives under the bridge and then blew it up when the train came." Zhejiang said exasperatedly. Naomi nodded. "You're not going to give into their demands, right?" She glanced at Zhejiang. She shook her head. "No."

"Good. Don't bow down to Nishi." Naomi dug into her pocket and got out a piece of gum and offered it to Zhejiang, who refused. Naomi shrugged and threw the piece in her mouth. "How's it with Hunan?" She waved her hand. Zhejiang scowled. "Not good either. They had tanks and guns from Pravda. We need more weapons too!" She shouted. Naomi leaned back in her chair. "Whoah, calm down. Don't worry, we're going to send you more tanks, so don't worry about it."

"You better hurry, there aren't any more shipments coming from Kuromorimine." Zhejiang explained. Naomi nodded. _So the rumors are true…_ she thought. She stood up. "I'll be going to Key to ask for more support." She said.

"Please do." Zhejiang pleaded. Naomi gave a thumbs up as she left. Zhejiang looked at the shorter girl. "Come on, Hubei. We have work to do."

 **Chi-ha-Tan High School**

Nishi Kinuyo was in her room, with tatami floors, sliding doors and Bonsai trees. She was kneeling on the floor, writing a haiku on the floor. She was humming to herself when the door slid open. Nishi looked up and saw a short girl with glasses standing there, breathless. "What is it, Fukuda?" She asked. Fukuda panted. "United Front has bombed our train!" She shouted. Nishi stood up immediately. "What? H-how?"

"They planted an explosive underneath the bridge, and when the train passed, they blew the charges. The explosion destroyed all the cargo and the train itself. The driver was captured." Fukuda slowly explained. Nishi began walking around the room. "Which faction was it? Was it the Red Dragons? Or the Blue Tigers?" She demanded. Fukuda scratched her head. "It was the Blue Tigers, I'm pretty sure. They have control of that portion of the border right now."

"Are they going to return the driver?" Nishi gritted through her teeth. Fukuda looked down. "I, I don't think so. They refused to give her up, and also refused to cooperate," She took a heavy breath. "They've decided to pin the blame on us." She added. Nishi glared at her. "What about the Tigers? Surely they must be responsible. Tell Zhejiang to destroy them completely!" She yelled, ignoring Fukuda's previous statement. Fukuda took a step back, scared of Nishi. "They, they won't listen to us anymore," She stammered out. "They also started attacking our border guards. There's been skirmishes all day between the two forces."

Nishi was overwhelmed with rage. "God damn it!" She screamed. "They won't mess with us anymore! Fukuda, tell Hosomi and Ikeda to prepare their regiments to attack United Front. Get the aerial squadrons ready for combat!" Fukuda nodded several times before running off.

 **Saunders High School**

A tall blonde girl was running on a track, sweat pouring down her entire body. Across the field on the bleachers sat a girl with pigtails, lazily looking at the stopwatch.

The blonde girl ran across the starting line, and the girl pressed a button on the stopwatch.

"Time." The blonde girl said.

"3:36" The girl replied. The blonde girl groaned. "3:36? Jeez I need to get my game up!" She said, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a towel.

"Don't sweat it, commander. That's better than me for sure." The girl told her. The blonde girl glanced at her. "Well, all you do is stalk Takashi on Facebook." She shot back. The girl turned bright red. "I do not stalk him!" She shouted. The blonde girl laughed. "I'm just joking, Alisa. Relax!" Alisa looked down. "It's not funny." She muttered. The blonde girl put her hand on Alice's shoulder. "Come on, it's almost 7:00 PM, let's have dinner."

The two girls were at a table at an outside of a fastfood place, the horizon orange from the setting sun. The blonde girl had two hamburgers and a shake. Alisa held a plate of fries in her lap. She looked at her commander's meal. "How do you eat so much? She asked. The blonde girl looked at her and slurped on her shake. "Isn't this normal?" She replied, taking an enormous bite from out of her cheese burger. Alisa rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, commander. Don't you need to work?"

"I always do that later." The blonde girl waved that suggestion. "There's not that much anyways."

Alisa sighed. "You know you are the head of a country, right? There's even more work than before." The blonde girl shrugged. "It doesn't bother me." She said nonchalantly.

Then a girl in a helmet came running over. She stopped at the table and saluted. "Commander Key!" She shouted. Key saluted back. "What is it?" She asked worriedly. The helmeted girl placed her hands on her knees. "Message...from...Naomi…" She panted.

"Naomi?" Kay repeated. The girl nodded. "Situation in United Front has deteriorated even further. There was an incident with Chi-ha-Tan."

"Situation?" Alisa said.

"There was an explosion at a bridge that crossed the Chi-ha-Tan-United Front border that destroyed a Chi-ha-Tan train. The Blue Tigers, who had control of that part of the border, took the driver prisoner. Both sides are blaming each other, and are even engaging in firefights." The girl explained. Key stood up, accidentally crushing her shake when she tightened her fist. "What? Is anybody trying to stop them?" She questioned the girl. The girl shook her head. "Both sides are refusing to negotiate with each other." Alisa drummed her fingers against the wooden table. "Which faction controlled the bridge?" She asked. The girl gulped. "Blue Tigers. The Red Dragons are in the North. It would be almost impossible for them " A scowl formed on Key's face. "Damn it," She clicked her tongue in anger. "This complicates things even more. No matter, we have to support them," She looked at the girl. "I'll send over two more platoons of tanks and three shipments of small arms and ammunition."

"The Red Dragons are getting support from Pravda." The girl replied. Key sighed. "I know Darjeeling is tied up with Kuromorimine, but could you send a message to her, Maho and Katyusha to stop things from boiling over in the north?" She requested. The girl saluted again. "Yes, commander." She sped off in the opposite direction. Key sat back down on the table. "Damn it," She cursed. "What the hell is going on?" She leaned on her arm, face etched with worry.

 **Kuromorimine-Bonple Border**

Two Kuromorimine soldiers lay on the ground, surrounded by tall grass and trees, watching the Bonple troops across the border. They wore black camouflage, which matched the night sky. They tightly held Karabiner 98Ks in their hands. Their Stahlhelms covered their heads and faces. They watched from behind several large trees, just out of reach of the military camp just a few meters away. Several Bonple soldiers stood, talking to each other. They were laughing, eating and drinking had Kb wz.98a bolt action rifles slung over their shoulders. The two kuromorimine had to hold in their laughter at their behavior.

The Bonple soldiers quickly threw their food and drinks behind them, crushed their cigarettes under their boots and stopped talking. They stepped out of the way as a line of six Samochód pancerny wz. 34 armored cars rolling into view. One of the soldiers from Kuromorimine jotted something down in a notebook, using a small flashlight for a source of light. The other girl tapped her shoulder. She looked up and saw 7TP jw tankettes and C4P halftrack carrying more soldiers entering the scene, followed by a Fiat 508. The door of the Fiat 508 opened and a tall woman, wearing a tan Rogatywka and overcoat stepped out. The soldiers saluted, and the woman saluted back. The Kuromorimine girls nodded to each other, and began crawling back to their headquarters.

 **Bonple-Kuromorimine Southern Border**

The soldiers milled around the small border town, eating food and talking to each other. They sat down on the ground, smoking cigarettes and drinking vodka. This was unethical to say the least, as not only they were soldiers, but they were on the border with a hostile neighbor. They were all stressed, and needed some relieving.

Then an officer came in running, yelling at the soldiers to get rid of their luxuries. A commander from the capitol was coming to oversee the defenses being built, and would not tolerate such carefreeness. The soldier began panicking, throwing everything they had out.

They ran to the entrance to the town, saluting smartly. The officer stood at the edge of the formation, sword in hand. A convoy of tankettes, armored cars, halftracks and a Fiat 508 car drove through. The Fiat 508 stopped, and out came a girl. She was tall and imposing, and wore a military overcoat, with several military ribbons above the double-breasted pockets. Her dark blonde hair tied up in a bun was covered by the Rogatywka. Her babyish face was covered with freckles, and pieces of curly hair swirled down her cheeks.

"Commander Oscypek." She held out her hand. The officer shook her hand. "Officer Bigos." She introduced herself. Oscypek looked around. "Something feels strange." She said. Bigos panicked. "Just your imagination, commander!" She exclaimed. Oscypek nodded. "Fine, whatever." She walked down the street, followed by Bigos. "We have to turn these villages into impenetrable fortresses," She said, with Bigos nodding in agreement. "We need to build machine gun nests on top of the buildings. Anti-tank guns and ditches around the perimeter. We'll have an air squadron coming here around tomorrow."

"Will we attack first, or initiate a counterattack?" Bigos asked. Oscypek shook her head. "No, we must defend this point so that the reserves can come in and push the enemy out. Then we will drive forwards with the vanguard."

"How many troops do we have here?" She asked.

"Just around 140 soldiers, excluding the tank crews and the ones we received just now." Bigos answered. Oscypek thought for a minute. "The ones that came with me numbered around 40 troops," She said. "I think that will be sufficient for the time being."

"We have around 7 tankettes, 4 light tanks and 5 medium tanks here right now, with also six anti-tank guns," Bigos told her. "We have more than enough arms and ammunition to last us half a year." Oscypek smiled. "Good, good." She said. She strutted towards the headquarters, her coat blowing in the wind. She opened the door and entered, followed by Bigos. "Our situation here is pretty serious, but not dire. If they do attack, we have St. Gloriana, Maginot and BC Freedom to back us up," Oscypek said. "Faced with so many enemies, they won't dare attack us in force. We will defeat their invasion and push into their territory. I am sure of it!"

 **Anzio High School**

Anchovy sat alone in her study, surrounded by large bookshelves filled with memoirs, biographies, manifestos and political statements of infamous politicians. The walls were covered by portraits of Italian figures from the past. Blood red curtains flowed down next to the windows. She was writing at her desk. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the time: 2:13 AM. She needed to sleep. She glanced next to the stack of papers. Governmental expenditures, imports of pasta, exports of Anzio napolitan, shipments of Saunders oil, C.V. 33 production numbers, taxes, and a whole slew of other things. She groaned. Being a leader of an entire country is extremely hard-being the head of a school was hard enough! But technically her school was now a country, so was she doing the same thing she has already been doing for the past years? She lazily pushed the stack to the side and plunked her head against the mahogany desk.

"Neesan…" A drowsy voice droned from behind her. Anchovy turned and saw a girl with messy black hair standing behind her. The strange part was that she was only in her underwear. "You need to come to bed." She mumbled. Anchovy sighed. "In a minute, Pepperoni." She told Pepperoni. Pepperoni grunted in response and turned around, walking back to where she came from. "That idiot really needs to cover herself." Anchovy muttered.

She glanced at the pile of papers; two had stuck out for her. She pulled them out and read them. Both of them were personally for her; one had the tea kettle and cup of St. Gloriana stamped on it, the other the Iron Cross of Kuromorimine. Both were of the same premise; both Darjeeling and Maho wanted her to go to their respective schools for a meeting the next day. Anchovy groaned. She had to choose. She had to choose very carefully. She knew once she chose a side she couldn't back out, with the political climate being so polarized.

Anchovy pondered over her choices. Both were to be truthfully bad candidates for her. Maho had become even colder, and aggressive. She turned so many of her neighbors against her. Anchovy honestly didn't want to be dragged into a bloody war because of her.

Then there was Darjeeling. After the collapse she had immediately taken control of the situation, bringing all the schools together. Anchovy was grateful for that. If she hasn't, who knows where everyone would be today. But, Darjeeling had appointed herself, and St. Gloriana as a whole, as the sole superpower of Japan. She surrounded herself with Allies and pushed out others like Anchovy herself. She did, and still felt betrayed, backstabbed by a former friend.

She knew inside, that either way, she would be relegated to being a secondary partner. She knew the jokes and insults thrown at her and Anzio behind her back. They make fun of Anzio for their carefreeness and lack of cohesion. She was bitter for that, and wanted to prove everyone wrong. She thought how Anzio was smack dab in the middle of Japan, surrounded by potential enemies. In the west, BC Freedom and Maginot. In the south, Kebab and Grona. In the northwest lay Kuromorimine. In the east was Ooarai and Tatenashi. Up in the north was Yogurt, Gregor, Count and other schools. Over yonder in the west were the English giants of Saunders and St. Gloriana. Far up north was the red menace of Pravda. In the southwest were the oriental behemoths of Chi-ha-Tan and United Front, with smaller schools like Tategoto sprinkled around. There were also the universities under Shimada Alice to consider. Anchovy thought hard. If she wanted to increase Anzio's respect she would have to become like Kuromorimine, Pravda and the other bigger schools. She would have to take smaller schools and increase her territory. She was envious of Maho and Katyusha, who had large tank fleets at their fingertips, and wanted to become like them. And they would let Anzio do whatever they liked. St. Gloriana would most likely meddle in Anchovy's affairs. She wanted to become equals, not over or under. She thought of the current strengths and weaknesses of each school, and considered the risks. Which side would benefit her? What were the stakes? Would she want to stay in her current position, and remain a joke? Or would she gamble everything and emerge a hero, a champion of Anzio, the Duce that brought victory and glory to the school? She slapped herself in the head, buried in her thoughts.

She stood up, her face filled with determination. She turned around, and followed after Pepperoni. She had made her decision.

* * *

 **pter two already. This is what happens when you have no job, too much time on your hands, no life and writer's block for my main story(Which is called Projekt Apocalypse: Girls und Panzer, check it out), so here you are.**

 **Things are getting pretty darn intense for the girls. The responsibility of leading their schools(which are now countries) is getting to them. Get ready, blood will be drawn soon.**

 **Not only are there OCs, but original schools as well! I hope you all know which country United Front is based off of(I've crammed many, many references already, with more to come). The once mentioned Tulip is easier to figure out, but my personal favorite school might be the other once mentioned White Coast, because I imagine very few will know which country(or entire region) this school is based off of(It might help if you look at events that happened in 1939. The color white in the name is pretty significant too. I hope I can incorporate this school into this story naturally).**

 **Anyways, things are speeding up, with maybe a few road bumps. I hope you all enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is about to begin!**


	3. Tigers from the East

**Chapter Three: Tigers From the East**

 **Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello Transport Aircraft, somewhere in central Honshu**

Anchovy sat alone, in the plane compartment, looking outside. All she was was rolling clouds and the occasional mountain. _Am I really making the right choice?_ She thought to herself. _Could this be a mistake?_ She trembled from the cold. She wished she could have some hot pizza around now.

The turbulence caused the plane to shake, and Anchovy clung to the sides tightly.

"Sorry, Duce. We're almost there." A smooth, calming voice said from the intercom. "Enjoy the view?" The voice asked. Anchovy nodded. She hasn't been on a plane for years and this was surely the ride of her life. She rested her head against her arm.

The plane began descending, and Anchovy saw the outline of the city in between the clouds. As they got closer, she could differentiate between the buildings, and even saw cars drive down the streets. As the SM. 81 turned, the airport where she was going to land came into view. She noticed the unusual amount of military aircraft, from dive-bombers to fighters lined up on the runway. "We're going to land in a minute." The pilot's voice announced. Anchovy quickly combed her long hair and wiped down her uniform. She wiped her face with a handkerchief(with the logo of Anzio, a pizza on it).

The plane bounced as it made contact with the asphalt runway. The plane slid across the pavement, eventually stopping at the edge. The door slid open, and Anchovy stepped out.

She was on a platform with stairs that led to the ground. She glanced to her right, and saw a tall girl with long blonde hair, holding the door open. She wore a dark green uniform similar to those of the Arditi. "Duce." She said.

"Thanks, Carpaccio." Anchovy replied. She looked at the ground, and saw Maho standing there. With a big grin on her face, she strolled down the stairs.

"Maho!" She shouted.

"Chiyomi!" Maho replied. Anchovy turned a little red, being called by her real name. When Anchovy reached the ground, Maho embraced her with a hug. "Thanks for coming." She said, patting her on the back. Anchovy beamed with happiness. Maybe she did choose the right path after all.

Both of them began walking towards a black Volkswagen, followed by Carpaccio. As they approached the car, Erika came over and opened the door. She nodded at Anchovy as she climbed in.

The Volkswagen sped down the street, past large fields and small villages. Erika was at she wheel, with Carpaccio next to her. Maho and Anchovy sat in the back.

"So, how's life?" Maho asked. Anchovy smiled. "Oh, it's the same old crap from before. I have to micromanage the entire school, and it's getting really tiring lately." She replied. Maho laughed. "Yeah, we don't have time like we used to," She looked right at Anchovy. "I'm glad you took time out of your tight schedule to come out here." Anchovy shrugged. "It's nothing." Erika glanced at Maho. "Isn't Nishi supposed to be coming later also?" She asked. Maho nodded. "I wanted to talk to her as well," She waved her hand around. "You could say I'm gathering supporters." She admitted. Anchovy looked at her weirdly. _Kind of strange..._ she thought, but put that aside for now.

"The inn you're going to stay is going to have an all you can eat buffet." Maho said, and Anchovy's eyes lit up. "All you can eat?" She began to drool. Maho nodded. "All you can eat." She repeated. Erika scoffed, and Carpaccio began to chuckle.

The car drove up to the entrance of the inn, and everybody got out. Anchovy gaped at the sight before her. The inn was large, the front door itself towering over her. Large white pillars stuck out from the ground, holding up the veranda above. The roof of the inn was a huge smooth dome. Murals spanned across the walls above the door. When Anchovy opened the door, she found the floor covered with colorful mosaics. More marble pillars lined themselves at the sides of the reception hall. Statues of Roman Gods and Goddesses stood at the rear of the room, glaring intently at whoever was at the front entrance. Anchovy looked back at Maho, who smiled. "This was based off the Romans. There's also a garden out back and a Roman bath." She said. Anchovy ran around like a little child, looking at everything the inn had to offer.

"This is so….wonderful!" Carpaccio exclaimed. "I wish Pepperoni was here to experience this as well."

"Glad you two enjoy it!" Maho boomed. "Take all the time in the world to enjoy it!" Her voice echoed in the large chamber, and Anchovy and Carpaccio shouted in response. Erika looked at Maho. "I don't think we should waste time…" She started but Maho interrupted her. "Let them have this. I haven't seen somebody so happy in ages." She told her.

All of them sat down in the lounge room, surrounded by arcade machines. Erika passed cups of coffee for Maho, Anchovy and Carpaccio. She didn't get one for herself.

"Is Anzio doing well?" Maho asked. Anchovy sighed. "We aren't doing bad, but things are slowing down. Because of a lack of parts, we can only build cv 33s, and a very few at that matter. There's not enough people to work too, so a lot of jobs are empty. We're pretty low on fuel too. The last few shipments from Saunders hasn't been cutting it."

Maho nodded. "We Don't have enough work. Too many people, not enough jobs. And we have so much material it's rusting." She said irritably.

She thought for a minute. "We can help each other out. Say, what would say if I can hook you up with oil from Count High School? I can also send you workers and parts." Anchovy nodded. "I can give you all the Anzio cuisine you can dream for!" She offered. "Our forces can train together as well."

"We'll become a combined army," Maho agreed. "Steel from Viggens High can also be offered. We have a border between our two schools, so things are so much easier." Anchovy nodded. "Indeed. If we had someone like St. Gloriana in the way, we couldn't have such a discussion." She said. Erika scoffed. "As if they could stop us." She muttered. Maho glared at her, and Anchovy caught that. "What are you planning?" She asked. Maho looked down guiltily. "We're getting ready for war against Bonple, St. Gloriana, Maginot and BC Freedom." She mumbled.

Anchovy jumped from her seat. "What?" She shouted in surprise. "How the hell are you going fight so many schools?" She demanded. Maho glanced up at Anchovy. Regret was clearly in her eyes. "I was going to have you attack BC Freedom." She confessed.

Surprise and confusion overwhelmed Anchovy. "You put me in your plans without even telling me?" She yelled, understandably upset.

"Wait, I'm sorry!" Maho shouted. "I know it was horrible of me, but I knew you would come to me anyways-"

"So you took advantage of my trust?" Anchovy hissed.

"Duce…" Carpaccio whispered in worry. Maho curled back. "Don't say it like that! I thought you would understand." She clasped her hands together. She was on the verge of tears. "I thought you would understand what I was going through. We're both surrounded by enemies, so we need to band together. Please forgive me!" She begged. Erika grabbed a hold of her commander and glared at Anchovy. "Don't talk to commander Nishizumi like that! You don't know how many nights she spent awake, worrying for all of our sakes? She worked without rest for days, not even for eating. Do you know how much being separated from her family is affecting her? Don't you ever-" She screamed, but Maho held her hand. "I understand if you don't want to stay anymore. Go to Darjeeling if you wish. I don't care anymore. You're still a dear friend to me." She whimpered.

Anchovy got up, and to the surprise of Erika and Maho, walked up to Maho. She sat down next to her and hugged her.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry!" Maho dug into Anchovy's uniform as she cried. Anchovy sighed. "It's alright. We only have each other." She whispered. Erika scoffed and Carpaccio was smiling in the background.

"How were you planning to attack Maginot and Bonple at the same time?" Anchovy asked, apprehensive. Maho looked up. "I made an alliance with Pravda." She informed Anchovy.

"Wait, Pravda? But they're…" Anchovy stuttered.

"I know. But as they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'." Maho finished. Anchovy chuckled. "Jesus, what else do you have to surprise me?" She asked a joking tone. Maho shrugged, laughing.

Just then the door opened. A girl with wavy brown hair stood at attention. "Oh, Koume, what is it?" Maho asked.

"Nishi Kinuyo from Chi-Ha-Tan has arrived." Koume replied sternly. From behind her the face of Nishi popped out. "Maho-dono! Anchovy-dono! Hello!" She shouted enthusiastically. Maho waved her in. "Come on in!" She said. Nishi bowed, and turned around. "Fukuda, stay outside in case of any messages come in." She ordered.

"Yes, Nishi-dono!" Fukuda's cheery voice replied. _Messages?_ Anchovy and Maho looked at each other. _Must be something she always does, she is a strange person after all._

"What were you talking about?" Nishi inquired. Maho chuckled. "About how I made an alliance with Pravda."

Nishi turned from ecstatic to immediate panic. "How..why would you? Pravda is the one school you should avoid becoming friends with! They're going to…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she was getting too nervous. Erika guided her to a chair, where she sat down. "How could you…" She muttered. Maho took a sip of coffee. "I wanted to tell you personally. We're going to split Bonple in half. Anchovy and I will get the western and southern schools, while Pravda will take the eastern and northern schools."

Nishi was sweating hard. "They didn't mention United Front at all, did they?" She asked slowly. Maho looked confused. "No….they didn't." She replied, and Nishi sighed with relief.

"That reminds me, what's going on with you and Zhejiang?" Anchovy prodded. Nishi groaned. "They are doing the same thing they've been doing for months. They get away with it because Saunders and St. Gloriana cover for them every time. Not only that, they're letting Pravda take over their school. Soon they will become a satellite for Pravda." She said. Maho nodded. "So the Red Dragons are still alive. I thought with all the weapons I gave them, the Blue Tigers would destroy the reds. Zhejiang's a personal friend of mine, but she's pretty inept. I guess United Front is going to remain fractured."

"I will clean them up before Pravda and Saunders can do anything to them!" Nishi exclaimed. Maho and Anchovy looked at each other.

 **St. Gloriana high school**

Orange Pekoe was pouring tea for several people; a dangerous tea party was about to take place. She got out several cakes and scones. She looked at the dish Darjeeling made; eel jelly. She sighed. Was Darjeeling planning to turn everybody against St. Gloriana? She casually took the plate and shoved it into the first cabinet she could find.

There was a knock at the door. She dropped everything and ran to get the door. She opened it and saw the figure of Naomi towering over her. She grabbed Orange Pekoe by the collar and leaned down to her face. "Hey beautiful." She whispered.

Orange Pekoe stepped back, face flushed red.

"Miss Naomi, please stop it with the jokes." A voice barked. Naomi shrugged. "You are just boring, you know that?" She replied. From behind Naomi stepped out a short, buxom girl with light brown bangs glaring at Naomi.

"Formosa-san, good day to you." Orange Pekoe bowed. Formosa bowed back. "Orange, good to see you too."

"No Dragons today?" Orange Pekoe asked. Naomi shook her head. "They're hiding in the jungle as usual." She said. Orange Pekoe sighed. "They're just making things complicated. Why won't Pravda force them to negotiate?"

"Because they want to overthrow Generalissimo Zhejiang and establish their student's paradise. Utter lunacy." Formosa muttered.

"They do have a lot of support from the first years, don't they?" Naomi inquired. Formosa nodded. "They're too impressionable. And it doesn't help that a lot of the Generalissimo's allies aren't even loyal to her. Guangxi has a lot of influence over the third years, and she barely listens to the Generalissimo," She deeply inhaled. "Our entire school is fucked up right now." She groaned.

"Whatever, let's sit down." Naomi guided Formosa to the chairs, who walked with a loud _huff_.

The door opened again, and Fondue entered. "Hey." She said. Orange Pekoe waved and Naomi gave a firm nod with her head. Fondue sat down next to Formosa.

Then waltzed in a girl with long black braided hair, tied with a white ribbon. She wore the brown uniform and skirt of Chi-ha-Tan.

"Thank you for coming, Tamada-san." Orange Pekoe said. Tamada bowed. "It is an honor to represent our school." She said in a matter-of-factly tone. She sat next to Orange Pekoe, across Naomi and Formosa. "Since they are ready to negotiate as well, we have deemed it beneficial for all parties."

"Darjeeling couldn't come today, she had something important to attend." Orange Pekoe informed them. _Stupid tennis classes..._ She thought to herself. "Anyways, we're all here to discuss the current situation between Chi-ha-Tan and United Front," She stated, and everyone else nodded. "We all acknowledge that there's a problem going on here."

Tamada stood up and pointed at Formosa. "They are the aggressors. They've been attacking our outposts for months!" She shouted. Formosa scowled. "Those were members of the Red Dragons." She claimed. Tamada grunted. "No evidence for that. Besides, if you would even try to defeat them this problem wouldn't be present, if what you say is even true."

"It's obvious Chi-ha-Tan is trying to expand in our territory." Formosa said. Naomi turned her head. "Our allies are being threatened as well." She added.

"Tategoto has claimed troop movements on your side of the border as well," Orange Pekoe piped up, glancing at Tamada. "Tategoto is under our protection, if you haven't remembered."

Tamada glared at all of them. "So you do the same thing as us, yet we are the ones at fault here?" She growled. Fondue adjusted her glasses. "I don't think we are comparable, madam-Tamada." She said. Tamada arched her eyebrows. "Really? You forced the schools around us to go under your wing. You crushed all resistance against you, and are trying to take over United Front!" She accused.

"What? What are you saying? We helped them become functioning schools, that's what we did," Naomi replied. "You are threatening them."

"You mean threatening your interests." Tamada corrected. Naomi glared at her. "Watch what you say. You are overstepping boundaries that shouldn't be crossed." She warned.

"Now now, let's calm down." Orange Pekoe interrupted. Tamada sat back down. "If you are so afraid for your little friends,how come you aren't hammering down on Pravda? They are supporting the communist Red Dragons up in United Front after all," She gave a heart-piercing glare to everyone around her. "That's because you are all weak. Even if you try, Pravda will destroy you so you all gang up on Chi-Ha-Tan so your bruised egos can heal." She hissed.

"Merde! How dare you!" Fondue shouted. Orange Pekoe looked down at her lap uncomfortably. Naomi chuckled. "You're almost as funny as Key." She grinned. Formosa frowned deeply. "I don't think I can agree with that." She commented.

"Please, we don't want to escalate things," Orange Pekoe said. "We don't want to have to use force."

Tamada spat. "Like hell you're trying not to escalate things. If you keep treating other schools like shit, it will come back to haunt you!" She shouted. Fondue laughed. "And what are you going to do about it? Your forces are nothing compared to ours." She told her. Naomi smiled. "There are paper tigers, but Chi-ha-Tan is just a paper hare." She joked. Formosa joined as well. "you will probably charge all of your troops into a minefield." She exclaimed, bursting into laughter.

Orange Pekoe looked over at Tamada, and gasped. Tamada was looking down, but her gaze was right at the three girls before her. She was trembling, and her face was red, but Orange Pekoe was drawn to her eyes. Tears had formed, and she saw the rage and anger that had welled up inside of Tamada. Her malice filled eyes were narrowed at Naomi in particular. Her teeth gnashed together, making a bone-crushing sound.

Orange Pekoe tried to stop the three girls, but no noise came out. Desperate, she got out a cup of tea and offered it to Tamada, but she shook her head. Orange Pekoe began to sweat. _Oh, dear. What am I supposed to do? I wish Assam or Darjeeling was here._ She thought as she stared at the mess of affairs before her.

 **Chi-ha-Tan-United Front Border**

Two girls stood in front of a platoon of tanks, ranging from Type 89 Chi-Ro Medium tanks, Type 92 Jyu-Sokosha Armored Cars, Type 93 Kokusan Armored cars, Type 95 Ha-Go Light tanks, Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium tanks and Type 97 tankettes. The crews of the tanks stood next to them, standing silent. Beyond that in formation were hundreds of young girls, holding rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and grenades. One of the girls, a tall girl with a ponytail tied with a huge white ribbon waved a shin guntō in her right hand. "Girls! Today is the day we will embark on the greatest adventure of our lives!" She shouted. The girl next to her, a girl with her hair tied up at the top of her hair nodded. "Indeed. Chi-ha-Tan's moment of glory has come! For too long have they mocked us, insulted and attacked us! We will show them who the real cowards are! They will cower at the assault of ten thousands steel lions leading the great charge!" She yelled. "We will destroy all enemies, and emerge victorious!" The girls cheered and yelled in excitement. The girl with the white ribbon got ontop of a Type 97 Chi-Ha. "Girls, man your tanks!" The crew scrambled into their tanks, and the infantry filed into their trucks and cars. A wing of Nakajima Ki-27 fighters flew over them, followed by dozens of Mitsubishi Ki-21 Medium bombers. The girl with the white ribbon got out a radio. "Ikeda to all divisional commanders, Ikeda to all divisional commanders; commence Operation Nishi-Go!" She ordered. The tanks and trucks roared to life as they gunned forwards, into United Front territory.

In a large village, a single United Front soldier sat in a foxhole, reading through a magazine. Her Vz.24 rifle and binoculars were thrown to the side, lying uselessly by the edge of the foxhole. She flipped through several pages of the magazine. The latest gossip, a scandal of a celebrity, a new murder, and so on. She was so engrossed she almost failed to notice the distant buzzing in the distance. "What the…" She muttered as she looked up. In the sun the silhouette of three planes could be seen. _Is that ours? I thought we didn't have enough fuel..._ thoughts raced through her head, but eventually she decided that they were friendlies.

Until they dove towards her. As the first plane aimed it's nose at her, she yelped and curled up in a ball. The Ki-27 fired its Ho-103 machine guns; they made _katchachacha_ sounds as yellow and Orange tracers bit the dust in two perfect lines. The other two planes followed suit, flying close to the ground. The girl glanced above her, and gasped in awe when she saw the fuselage of the fighter pass over just meters above her head. The three Ki-27s rose up to the sky again, turning around to strafe any unfortunate soul outside. There were already several casualties, bullets tearing through their flesh and bones. Blood seeped through, staining the ground below.

By now the civilians and soldiers were panicking, running outside and attempting to escape. The Ki-27s came for another run, this time dropping their type 94 100 kg bombs. The bombs fell with a high-pitched whine, and landed in the mass of people in the village streets. Limbs, heads and were torn away from each other, and chunks of concrete were launched away from the earth, eventually falling back down and crushing panicked people. Screaming, the people got on the ground as the Ki-27s made their last strafing run. Bullets arced down, finding their targets stuck on the ground. They spat bursts of 12.7mm rounds from their Ho-103s, plastering people with hot lead.

The soldier peeked out from her little hole and saw the carnage. Several houses had gaping holes in them, the roofs and walls reduced to nothing more than dust. Countless people were on the ground, some jerking around as they took their final breaths. There was the screams and moans of pain all around her. Blood was everywhere, as were lone body parts, with bone and cartilage sticking out. The soldier fell down, hyperventilating. A fellow soldier, an officer ran up to her. "Are you alright?" She asked. The soldier nodded her head once. The officer grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up. "We have at least 30 casualties. I have no fucking clue to what just happened, but I need you to be on your guard." She said. "Was it the damn reds? Blast it if they acquired planes from Pravda." She mumbled.

They heard the low rumble of tracks and wheels. The soldier turned towards the woods, and her knees almost buckled. From the treeline she saw at least a dozen Type 97 Chi-Has quickly moving towards them.

"Shit! Enemy tanks, two o'clock!" The officer shouted, waving a Colt M1911 around in the air.

The Type 97s began firing their 7.7mm machine guns at the infantry, who began to crack under the attack. Dirt flew up as bullets landed near the soldier. She ducked down in her foxhole, trying to live. Her hands quivered as she took out a Model 24 grenade from her pocket. As a Type 97 came into full view she pulled the cord and threw it with all her strength.

The Model 24 rolled underneath the tank, and exploded. The Type 97 began smoking, and shuddered to a halt. The soldier scrambled out of the foxhole as more Type 97s began to converge on her. Now infantry, riding trucks and motorcycles were appearing out of the forest. Bullets whizzed by the soldier as she ran to her comrades, who had set up a Type 24 Maxim machine gun by a street corner and was firing at the Chi-ha-Tan infantry. A short girl fed the belt feed, while another girl assisted the gunner in spotting enemies.

"We're overheating, we need more water!" The gunner shouted as the gun sputtered and died. The spotter grabbed the container of water and poured more in. The Maxim resumed firing, forcing the Chi-ha-Tan infantry to get down.

A squad of Chi-ha-Tan troops slowly crawled through the dirt, inching towards the machine gun position. One girl took out a Type 97 grenade and chucked it the machine gun. The grenade landed, and within seconds exploded. Thousands of shrapnel dug themselves into the girls, causing them to shriek in pain before dying. The Chi-ha-Tan troops stood up and ran forwards, pushing the beleaguered United Front soldiers back. Some troops tried to fight back, firing their rifles at the invaders from on top of houses, but accurate fire from the Chi-ha-Tan tanks and infantry took them down.

The remaining United Front soldiers, around a dozen, ran for miles until they got to their regimental hq in a suburban town. The senior of them, a junior NCO stumbled onto the steps of the hq doors. The two soldiers guarding the door rushed over.

"Soldier, what happened? Are you alright?" One of them demanded. The Junior NCO groaned. "Chi-ha-Tan aircraft and armored forces attacked us…" She sputtered, before going unconscious. The two guards looked at each other in surprise. Then one of them dashed inside the hq, while the second one walked over to the cluster of soldiers.

"They slaughtered us!" One girl wailed.

"Their planes bombed us, before their tanks and infantry assaulted us while we were disorganized." Another one cried. The guard trembled. _Chi-ha-Tan is attacking us now?_ She thought in despair.

She heard in the distance a faint noise-that of the roar of engines, ground being crushed by treads, and the buzzing of propellers. Staff officers and soldiers looked in the direction from where the noise was coming from with confusion.

"They are coming!" The group of soldiers howled. The guard watched with horror as the storm of steel thundered closer.

 **United Front capital**

Zhejiang was sitting, drinking green tea in her garden. Today, was a nice day to be out, there was little wind and the skies were clear. She ought to have invited someone to join her. Well, it's nice to be alone sometimes.

She was interrupted, however, when her aide stormed into the garden. "Generalissimo! Something terrible has happened! Something truly horrible!" She shouted. Zhejiang looked at her, tea in hand. "Are you over exaggerating again, Hubei?" She looked at her doubtfully. Hubei shook her head. "No, not at all!" Zhejiang gave a puzzled look. "Then what?" She demanded. Hubei gulped. "Chi-ha-Tan has launched an attack all across the border!" She reported.

Zhejiang turned white. "What?" She mumbled, eyes wide. "How many divisions do they have? How many do we have?" She demanded. Hubei looked at the ground. "We don't know for sure, but we estimated at least nine divisions. We have only four guarding the border." She said hesitantly.

"How are they?" Zhejiang questioned, clearly afraid of the answer. Hubei sighed. "At least one has already disintegrated. The other three is resisting as hard as they can."

Zhejiang jumped up. "Deploy the 8th and 11th armies!" She ordered. "We will crush their forces and launch a counterattack!" She bellowed with anger. Hubei shook. "Yes, ma'am!" She replied and ran off.

 **St. Gloriana High School**

The three girl continued to laugh, while Tamada glared at them, not saying a word. Orange Pekoe sat silently, looking at both of them nervously.

There was a knock at the door. Orange Pekoe looked towards the door. "Come in." She said. The door slammed opened and a young girl stood, trembling.

"What is it?" Orange Pekoe beckoned her with a sweet voice. The girl nodded and practically tripped over herself trying to run over to Orange Pekoe. "Here." She glanced at Tamada before giving a folded up letter to Orange Pekoe. She unfolded it and read it, her eyes growing wide and emitting a small gasp. The three girls stopped laughing and stared at Orange Pekoe.

"What is it?" Naomi asked.

"Is something wrong?" Fondue questioned. The three girls walked over to the trembling Orange Pekoe. Naomi took the letter, and the three girls read over it.

Formosa crumpled to the floor, hands covering her mouth. "No…" She whimpered.

"Oh my god…" Fondue said in disbelief. Naomi turned towards Tamada. "You two faced liar!" She growled.

"What?" Tamada said, confused.

"You know what you did! You treacherous bastards!" Naomi screamed as she raised her fist and stomped towards Tamada. She stumbled out of her chair, while Orange Pekoe and Fondue had to restrain Naomi.

Tamada picked up the letter. A look of confusion, surprise, and then glee came over her face. She looked up. "I did not know of this. This is a surprise to me as well." She said, sounding very genuine. She then broke into laughter. "You were laughing at us-now look who is laughing! Your luck had already begun to run out!" She hollered out as she strolled out of the room.

However, as soon as she was out of reach of the other girls, a slight frown appeared on Tamada's face. "Why did commander Nishi not tell me of this. There is no reason to keep me out of the dark, no? Anyways, I have suffered an immense embarrassment for myself and Chi-ha-Tan as a whole. I will not let commander Nishi hear the end of this." She mumbled.

 **Kuromorimine High School**

Maho, Anchovy and Nishi were talking when Fukuda burst through the door. "Commander Nishi!" She shouted. The three girls looked up.

"What is it?" Nishi inquired.

"Operation Nishi-Go has commenced and is successful!" Fukuda reported. A large grin appeared on Nishi's face. "Good! Wonderful!" She explained. Anchovy and Maho looked at each other.

"Uh...what's going on?" Anchovy asked. Nishi turned to her compatriots and emitted a confident grunt. "Ladies, I have embarked on the greatest invasion. I have launched a wave of steel into United Front!" She announced. Anchovy and Maho's jaw dropped, Maho's less so. "You invaded United Front?" She asked. Nishi nodded.

"Oh, uh...good luck!" Anchovy said.

"Zhejiang was a poor candidate for a leader anyways," Maho muttered somewhat sadly. "Don't you think that will gain the ire of St. Gloriana, Pravda and Saunders?" She asked more loudly. Nishi shrugged. "Darjeeling is occupied with you, Saunders is busy with the election, and Pravda will not sacrifice it's troops for United Front, seeing as how their support is minimal." She replied. Maho gave a small chuckle. "So you used the situation to your advantage."

Nishi nodded. "I thought it would be the best time to strike when Kuromorimine is the center of attention."

"But now the attention is on you. But don't worry; we're are going to move out soon too." Maho said. Anchovy sighed. "I guess I have to mobilize too." She moaned.

Nishi got up. "Well, I guess this is my cue to leave." She said. Maho waved. "Nice talking to you." Anchovy nodded. "See ya later."

Nishi and Fukuda left, leaving the rest of the room in silence. "Wow," Carpaccio exclaimed. "That escalated quickly, really that got out of hand fast!"

 **St. Gloriana High School**

Darjeeling and Eclair were drinking tea while Assam and a red haired girl were playing tennis.

"Rosehip! That is not how to play tennis, play properly!" Assam shouted, and the red haired girl laughed. Assam looked over at Darjeeling with an annoyed look. "Darjeeling-sama, would you please tell Rosehip to do things properly." She moaned. Rosehip dashed behind Darjeeling. "I do things my own way desuwa~." She said, and Assam groaned. Darjeeling chuckled. "Watching them play tennis is always so entertaining." She said. Eclair agreed. "Indeed. We should do this more often." She said.

A girl with long brown hair in a braid ran up to Darjeeling. "Darjeeling-sama, a message from Pravda." She exclaimed. Darjeeling chuckled. "What news does Katyusha bring us this time, Rukuriri?" She asked. Rukuriri frowned. "Uh, Pravda and Kuromorimine signed a military alliance." She reported.

Darjeeling dropped her teacup, and it shattered on the tennis court. Eclair doubled down, grabbing her stomach. "My stomach!" She groaned in pain.

"No no no this was not supposed to happen!" Darjeeling shouted. Then the revelation hit her like a stone wall. "Bonple! They are trapped!" She realized. "They've been planning this all along, haven't they. Maho, Katyusha, what clever girls you are." She grinned, despite being furious at being tricked.

 **Bonple High School**

Jajka stood at the kitchen, making some zur soup. She served it in a bowl brought it to the table, where a tall girl, with short jet black hair sat. She wore a dark green dress uniform that flowed all the way down to her knees. Her black jackboots clicked as she tapped on the tiled floor. A light grey field cap rested firmly on her head. On her chest was a patch with a black falcon in front of a red, white and green background emblazoned onto her uniform. Bright yellow epaulettes were sewed on to her shoulders.

"Here you go." Jajka placed the bowl in front of the girl. The girl took a spoonful and put it in her mouth. An audible moan of pleasure escaped from her lips. "The stuff you make is always amazing, Grandmaster." She exclaimed. Jajka beamed. "Thank you, Admiral." She replied. The girl grinned. "No problem. Now you gotta come to my place. We have some of the best cuisines, good enough to match Anzio!" She boasted. Jajka smirked. "I doubt that, Géza."

Géza raised her eyebrows. "Really? In terms of armor and food, we are superior." Jajka sat down next to her. "If you say so, your school barely even did Senshadou or Tankathalon in the past." She jabbed. Géza shrugged. "So? A Toldi can smash a C.V. 33 in a second." She retorted.

"You have a point." Jajka agreed. Géza leaned back in her chair. "I'm kind of glad we get to stay in the shadows. Nobody really paid any attention to us." She said. Jajka sighed. "You are absolutely right. I'm in the damn spotlight. I can't take it." She complained. Géza had finished half her bowl at this point. "Well, things can't get anymore crazy." She said with her mouthful of soup.

A girl entered the kitchen and saluted. "Grandmaster Jajka!" She said. Jajka nodded. "Yes?" She noticed the girl was on the verge of crying. "Is something wrong?" She questioned. The girl nodded. "Pravda and Kuromorimine have…" She composed herself. "They have just signed an alliance together. They announced it this afternoon." She sputtered out.

Géza glanced at Jajka. She had put her head down onto her arms. "How could this have happened? Kuromorimine and Pravda should be ideological enemies," She cried out in anguish. "Why?" She wailed.

Géza patted her back softly as she got up. "I'm sorry." That was the only thing she could say as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Jajka shouted, and Géza froze. "You're not going to abandon me, are you?" Jajka asked desperately. Slowly, Géza turned her head to face Jajka with a frail smile. "Of course not." She managed to say, and Jajka smiled with relief. "Thank you." She muttered, and Géza nodded in response.

As Géza walked away from the kitchen, tears began welling up in her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand as she choked out a sob. _I'm sorry. I truly am,_ She thought to herself, her cheeks wet with tears. _There's nothing I can do. I don't want to watch you die, but what else can I do?_

"Admiral," A voice made Géza to wipe her tears and look up. Her adjutant stood there like a statue. "There's a message from Kuromorimine. They want to schedule a-"

"Okay, tell them that I'll come." Géza interrupted. She adjusted her hat, and walked out with a look of grim determination on her face.

 **Saunders High School**

Key was surrounded by stacks of papers and posters. Alisa came running in with a fresh stack of papers. "This is for the baseball and science clubs!" She shouted. "And you need to schedule a rally for the football team! They're crucial for the polls!" Key threw her hands in the air. "I hate this time of the year!" She explained. "Why does democracy demand such labor?"

"Do you want to become worshipped like a living god, like Katyusha and Anchovy?" Alisa asked. Key groaned. "No, but still." Alisa shoved the papers in Key's face. "Then work. You do want to be re-elected, don't you?" She leaned in close. Key nodded.

"Then work." Alisa hissed.

"Why are you so bossy when it comes to this?" Key moaned.

"Because you are the best person for the job!" Alisa answered in a huff. "You care for the school!"

Just then Naomi came storming in, her usual cool mood now replaced with anger. Key and Alisa looked up in surprise.

"What has _your_ panties in a twist?" Alisa asked with a wide grin. Naomi glared at her. "Chi-ha-Tan invaded United Front." She told Alisa, who immediately dropped her grin. "Oh." She lowered her head. Naomi nodded. "Yeah."

Key scowled. "What do you want me to do about it?" She inquired. "I'm busy!"

"Send them more arms and tanks. They need it," Naomi shouted. "Please, they won't survive if we don't do anything." She begged. Key thought it over. "Fine," She said after a while. "Send them the older shit we don't need."

Naomi smiled. "Thanks." She said. Key shrugged. "Don't mention it. I don't want any of my friends to be sad." She replied.

"Then work god dammit!" Alisa shouted. Key and Naomi looked at her before bursting into laughter.

 **Chi-ha-Tan High School**

Nishi walked down the wooden corridor in high spirits. _Finally, something wondrous!_ She thought as she slid open the door to her room.

To her surprise, there kneeling was Tamada, facing the wall. "Tamada!" Nishi said in surprise. Tamada turned around. She had an annoyed look on her face. "I have waited for three hours, commander." She said in a somewhat bored tone. Nishi trotted over to Tamada. "What? What is it?" She asked.

Tamada immediately broke into her tirade. "Why didn't you tell me commander? Why did you keep me in the dark of the attack? I have been embarrassed immensely!" She cried. Nishi clasped her hands together. "Forgive me, Tamada! It had to be a secret! Nobody would be expecting an invasion while negotiations, would they? I figured that if you did not know of it, there would be little chance of them finding out!" She explained. Tamada brightened up. "Of course, what a genius idea!" She said. "What brilliance you have, commander!"

Nishi blushed. "I'm not that…" She muttered.

"So, what happened in Kuromorimine?" Tamada questioned.

"Maho told me they had made an alliance with Pravda." She told her. Tamada nodded. "I did know that. Anything else?" Nishi brought her finger to her lips. "Sorry, it's a secret."

"Another one? How mean of you, commander!" Tamada pouted, and Nishi laughed. "I am sorry, Tamada, but some things must not be revealed until it is time!"

 **Kuromorimine High School**

Anchovy and Maho sat in the Roman bath, soaking in the glory of the statues of cherubs that were spouting out water. "Sure feels nice." Anchovy moaned.

"Yes, it sure does." Maho agreed.

"Say, what do you think of Nishi and her decision to attack United Front. You are friends with Zhejiang." Anchovy asked. Maho shrugged. "Nishi can do whatever she wants. I support her." She replied.

"Yeah, same." Anchovy said. "That did come as a surprise, though. Really."

"I didn't think Nishi would actually…" Maho trailed off. Anchovy pointed her finger at Maho. "But," She started, "It's the same for you. You're actually planning to attack Bonple-with Pravda no less. This day is full of surprises." She pointed out. Maho smiled. "I guess that's true." She conceded.

"Why did you invite the commanders of Arrow Cross, Count and Yogurt over here?" Anchovy inquired.

"I figured they would be good allies to have." Maho replied, her voice confident. "I believe they will come." Anchovy shrugged. "Well, they are right next to Pravda, if that means anything."

"I also invited Viggens and Keizoku too." Maho added. "With Gallipoli and Blue Division."

Anchovy gaped. "That's a lot of schools." She said. Maho nodded. "I know, that's the point," She raised her hand. "The more schools we get, the better our position will be," She explained, while Anchovy listened. "I doubt even Darjeeling will have the stomach to deal with so many schools." Maho finished.

"Wow." Anchovy said.

"When we get out, I'll show you the togas this inn has, instead of the usual yukata. You'll get to feel like a Roman emperor." Maho said.

"Hooray!" Anchovy shouted.

* * *

 **Oh boy, it's finally here! The first instance of combat! Chi-ha-Tan has begun its fateful invasion that would only churn the gears of war even faster. To be honest, the love of history is running so deep in my blood I didn't realize I was following the order of events in the 1930s even more that I thought I was(How the Second World War begun earlier in Asia, while shit was only getting intense in Europe). I was following the Second World War to a certain degree, but the decision to have Chi-ha-Tan to invade United Front had nothing to do with following history.**

 **Of course Saunders would have elections. They are a democracy, after all(Thx to RedSS for the idea, from his suggestion about different Government types, and I got the idea for Saunders having elections. Other schools will be democracies as well, like Keizoku, but most will be led by a one person dictatorship(Duce Anchovy for example) or a council of 'elders'(Like Darjeeling and the Tea Garden)).**

 **More OCs and Original Schools! Hurrah! Anyways, I hope you enjoy as always.**


	4. Maternal Instinct

**Chapter Four: Maternal Instinct**

 **Kuromorimine, 3 km away from Bonple border**

A dozen Panzer Is and Panzer IIs rolled down the stone street in a nice two-by-six column, their treads almost sliding against the smooth surface of the road. Once they were in front of a large courthouse they halted in unison.

From the front left Panzer II the hatch opened, and the figure of Akaboshi Koume came out. She wore a tall grey schirmmütze and a black Waffenrock too large for her. A bright pink Waffenfarbe ran through her collar piping, indicating her high status in the Panzerwaffe. _Ugh, I hate these overly-fancy uniforms,_ she thought to herself as a soldier ran out to meet her, snapping to attention at the base of the tank. She raised her right hand in the air in a salute. "Heil Kuromorimine!" She exclaimed.

"Heil." Koume flipped her hand back in response as she climbed down the side of the Panzer II.

"What is the current situation?" Koume asked as she and the soldier walked up the stairs of the courthouse, their jackboots slapping against the stone slabs.

"According to our scouts, they have around two divisions across a 8 km front. They have over 60 tanks and tankettes spread across the border. Their air power seems to be negligible at the moment." The soldier replied.

The pair reached the top of the stairs, where two guards armed with MP34 Submachine guns saluted hastily before opening the large wooden doors. The soldier escorted her through a large hallway before turning the corner and up to a black door. "This will be your new room, General Akaboshi." She said.

"Please," Koume groaned. "Call me Fraülein Koume or even just Koume."

"But," The soldier protested, but Koume waved her hand. "I don't like long titles." She complained. The soldier saluted. "Yes, Fraülein!" She exclaimed. Koume smiled. "Nice working with you," She looked at the soldier's uniform. "Major."

Koume looked around her new room. At the edge there was a large queen-sized bed with white covers right next to the windows. _This seems a bit much_ , She thought when she fell on top of it. _Hm, nice and cushiony._ There was a large wardrobe, and when she opened them, she saw several large costs already hanging there. _Well, they're quite considerate,_ Koume chuckled to herself. There was a medium sized mahogany desk with three drawers. On the wall hung a flag of Kuromorimine. Above was a portrait of Maho, the Führer of Kuromorimine. Koume laughed as she jerked her right hand up. "Heil Kuromorimine! Heil Maho!" She shouted.

"General?" Koume spun around saw a young, handsome man with blonde hair standing at attention.

"What is it?" She demanded. The man recoiled. "Your suitcase is downstairs, and I am to be your new adjutant from now on." He said.

"Oh, really?" Koume said, suddenly interested. "What's your name?"

"Leutnant Eric Voller, Fraülein General." The man responded. Koume licked her lips as she stalked up to the soldier, swayinh her hips as she went. "Well Eric, let me tell you something." She stood right up to Eric, their noses almost touching. She leaned forward, caressing his chest. "Call me Koume, and I'll call you Eric. We are going to have so much fun together." She whispered before walking away, leaving the soldier standing alone, shaking.

 **Viggens High School**

Two women walked down the dimly lit hallway. "So," The taller, more curvy girl asked, her beige colored hair tied in a French twist. The buttons on her uniform were almost popping out from How big her chest was. Her skirt was too short for her long legs. "How is our trade deals with Kuromorimine going?"

The shorter girl with a flat chest and wide-rimmed glasses looked at her paperclip. "They bought nearly 1,000 tons of steel for Anzio." She replied. The taller girl nodded. "Good. They are the best when it comes to business," She answered. "They're also militarily the most powerful neighbor besides Pravda."

"Why Don't we do business with Pravda? We do with Kuromorimine and Maginot." The shorter girl asked. The taller girl stared at her. "Are you kidding me? We can't make deals with Pravda," She exclaimed. "The only thing separating us and them is Keizoku! And you can say all you want about Keizoku, they won't last a week against the reds," She sighed. "The only thing that is keeping us safe is our business," She said slowly. "And we must keep it that way." She proclaimed.

"But commander Loki, St. Gloriana has been sending messages about halting our shipments to Kuromorimine." The shorter girl said anxiously. Loki scoffed. "Do they not understand the notion of business? Those fools. They can't even stop us," She spat. "At least Maho negotiates with us. Darjeeling tried to force her will on us, but we're not going to bend," She announced. "Do not worry, Aesir. We will try to stay away from bloodshed as much as possible," She told the shorter girl. "Tell St. Gloriana that Viggens has the international right to trade with whoever they want."

Aesir saluted. "Yes commander!" Loki turned and watched Aesir disappear within the long shadows of the hall.

 **Ooarai High School**

Miho walked down the wide street by herself, looking at everything around her. To her right, there was a small garage crammed with armored vehicles of all sorts, pulled out of the garage or just delivered by other schools. Old men with megaphones distributed leaflets telling people to enlist in the army, as conscription was not enforced at the moment just as Anzu promised. Fighters lined up across runways of airports, ready to be scrambled just in case.

She shuddered. So everything she heard was true about the escalating conflict with Kuromorimine, and to an extent, Anzio and Pravda. She became wrought with worry for her older sister. _I hope she's okay and won't do anything foolish,_ she thought. Before shaking her own head. _She is not foolish, she is my sister. She will definitely make things better._

"Nishizumi-chan!" The cheery voice of Anzu made her turn around. "Kadotani-san." She said. Anzu grinned widely. "Perfect! I wanted you to do something for me, and for everyone in general." She exclaimed.

"What?" A confused Miho said as Anzu handed her a phone.

"Call your sister." She ordered in a serious tone, a complete 180 from just a second ago. This was a good trait of Anzu; she knew when to be a jokester, and when not to be.

"My sister? Why?" Miho asked quizzically. Anzu sighed. "This is actually a request from Darjeeling. She's getting really desperate. She's calling in basically all schools for a plan against Kuromorimine. She wants you to call your sister to back down from Bonple and out of the alliance with Pravda. She thinks you can put some sense into her," Anzu took Miho's hand. "I told Darjeeling Ooarai won't participate in an offensive operation against Kuromorimine, and she accepted it. So please, do it for my sake, Darjeeling's sake and your sister's sake." She begged, her eyes wilting.

Miho gave a firm nod, full of conviction. She opened the phone and punched in Maho's number. She placed the phone up to her ear, and waited impatiently as it rang.

" _Hello?"_ Maho's cool voice filled Miho's chest with emotion. "Oneechan!" She shouted.

" _Miho? What are you-wait a minute, I'm in the middle of a meeting,"_ Miho stood silently as she heard the sounds of a door closing and footsteps resonating against a tiled floor. " _Miho, I can't believe it's you. I haven't heard or seen you in a year. I'm so sorry, I've been so busy."_

Miho shook her head. "No, I understand. Things have been really hard for you."

" _Yeah, I've been so stressed. Just hearing your voice makes me feel better. I wish you never left us in the first place."_

Miho began to tear up. "I'm so sorry." She whimpered. She heard Maho sigh. " _No, I'm sorry for saying that. I know you have friends in Ooarai, and I'm happy knowing you're happy. Tell Kadotani that I send her my regards."_ Miho nodded. "Okay. I, I heard what was going on with you and Darjeeling." She said. There was a silence from the other end.

" _Did she tell you to call me?"_ Maho demanded, and Miho could sense the hint of malice in her voice, and that scared her. _What happened? They were such good friends,_ she thought as she glanced down at Anzu, who shook her head violently.

"No, she didn't." Miho answered sadly.

" _Thank God. I'm relieved she would not resort to using my sister to manipulate me._ " Maho laughed from the other side.

"What?" Miho froze up.

" _Look, I don't know what you were told, but I am doing everything in self defense of Kuromorimine. Darjeeling had put all of my neighbors against me. She has been using Bonple to provoke me, and it's got to the point where I can't leave things the way they are anymore. The only friends that I have right now is Anchovy and Nishi,_ " Maho said, hesitating for a second. " _I feel so alone right now. But I have to act with conviction. Sometimes I don't even know what I should do anymore."_

"Oneechan, just do what you think is right!" Miho shouted. There was a long silence.

" _Maybe you're right. I have to pull myself together,"_ Maho said. " _I'm sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you. Just so you know, I still love you."_

"I love you too." Miho whispered as the phone line cut. She looked at Anzu.

"Nishizumi-chan." Anzu said glumly. She ran up and hugged her. "It's alright. Everything is fine." She said. Miho touched her face; she had been crying.

 **St. Gloriana High School**

Darjeeling sat at the edge of the table, looking over a map of Japan. Next to her sat Eclair and Asparagus on the left. On her right was Bosphorus from Kebab, Oslofjord from Viking Fisheries, Dingo from Koala Forest, Trout from Maple, Boleslava from Gregor, and Kilimanjaro from West Kureoji Grona, the leaders of the schools that have been aligned together since After Collapse Year 1.

"Now, I called you all to discuss the problem of Kuromorimine, Anzio and potentially Pravda." Darjeeling started. Bosphorus raised her hand. "Where's Jajka?" She asked. Darjeeling frowned. "She is overseeing the build-up of her school, so I didn't seem it necessary for her to come." She replied. Trout shrugged. "Guess that makes sense." She said.

"Leaving her in the dust, I see." Dingo muttered. Asparagus perked her head up. "Did somebody say something?" She demanded. Dingo shook her head vigorously, her white hair swishing around.

"We will attack Kuromorimine while they are occupied with Bonple," Darjeeling explained, with Dingo nodding her head in confirmation. "Eclair, Asparagus, I want you to attack their rear. Strike quick and deep before they can react. Boleslava, I would like you to attack Kuromorimine from the east, you guys are the only ones with a clear shot to Niigata." Darjeeling pointed to the map.

"But Darjeeling," Asparagus interrupted. "We have Anzio on our flanks." She said.

"Same here." Boleslava concurred. Darjeeling let out a puff of confidence. "That's where Bosphorus and Kilimanjaro comes in," She explained,waving her hands in the air. "You will attack Anzio from the south, forcing them to fight on several fronts." She jumped out of her chair in a excited fashion.

"Darjeeling, did you drink coffee instead of tea?" Asparagus laughed. Darjeeling looked at her with huge eyes. "I will send you an expeditionary force to help you attack Kuromorimine. Dingo, Trout, I expect help from you as well. Dingo sighed. "I'll do something." She mumbled.

"Okay!" Trout shouted.

The blonde Oslofjord raised her hand. "What about me?" She questioned, not liking that she was ignored throughout the meeting. Darjeeling hit her fist against her hand. "I almost forgot. I want you to stop Viggens from supplying Kuromorimine." She said. Oslofjord gasped. "That's out of our capabilities. How are we supposed to do that?" She demanded. Darjeeling smirked. "Sabotage their factories and transports. We can't allow them to supply the enemy. I also want you to convince Keizoku and Yogurt to help us against Kuromorimine." Oslofjord furrowed her eyebrows. "I'll try my best." She answered somewhat hesitantly.

"Why isn't Saunders here?" Dingo asked. "Surely they can help, right?"

Darjeeling sighed heavily. "They're caught up in their elections, and rather not get involved in the war. They promised to send supplies to us though."

"What should we do with Chi-ha-Tan?" Kilimanjaro questioned. Darjeeling scowled. "We're figuring that out right now," She answered. "We're trying to arm the Blue Tigers as much as possible. They would push the Chi-ha-Tan armies out of their territories, while propping them up as the stronger power in United Front."

Kilimanjaro nodded at leaned back in her chair. "What do you think about Pravda?" She asked.

"We're going to place collaborationist governments in Kuromorimine and Anzio to put them against Pravda," Eclair explained. "It'll be a bulwark against the eventual red invasion."

"Well, here you all go." Darjeeling began passing out papers for every single girl present in the room.

"What is this?" Boleslava asked. Darjeeling waved her own piece of paper in her hand. "Why, to make our alliance official, obviously! By signing this document you will publicly support and participate in any action taken against Kuromorimine and Anzio. You can't back out once you sign it!" She cheerfully explained. "Oh, I already sent one to Bonple so they won't feel left out." She added.

They all looked through the paper.

"Military, material and moral support?" Dingo read off. "Fine, whatever." She signed it.

"Fine by me." Trout was the next to sign. Boleslava shrugged and took out a black pen. "Why not." She muttered.

Bosphorus smiled as she wrote her name. "More territory isn't a bad deal at all."

Kilimanjaro read one more time before she signed it. "Hopefully we won't even need this." She whispered.

The last one to sign it was Oslofjord. "I don't know about this." She said. She looked around. Everybody else had signed it. She didn't want to be the only one not to sign it. But she wasn't sure she was even up for the job. _Even if I do have allies, I'll be separated by everybody else. I'll be easily picked off._ She shook her head. _I'm already separated anyways, better to have friends than be completely alone._ She signed the paper with a huff of resignation.

"What are we going to call ourselves?" Kilimanjaro asked. "This is the most crucial part."

Darjeeling began to sweat. "I was thinking we should do it as a group." She said sheepishly. Dingo sighed. "Which means you couldn't think up one by yourself." She interpreted. Darjeeling turned a light shade of red.

"Don't feel bad. It's pretty hard." Boleslava said.

"It should have a punch to it." Oslofjord remarked.

"Makes us respectable." Kilimanjaro added.

"Something about united? Being United against Kuromorimine and all." Trout suggested.

"How about the elegant ladies?" Darjeeling offered. "We're all ladies and are-"

"I ain't a lady and I sure ain't elegant." Dingo shot the idea down, and Darjeeling looked down at her lap with a dejected look.

"How about putting in the word eternal? That will make it seem our alliance will last forever." Trout said. Eclair nodded. "Not a bad idea."

"Sounds kind of cheesy." Asparagus objected. Eclair glared at her. "Then what? What's your idea?"

Asparagus shrugged. "I don't know. Make it seem, I don't know. Just do something!" She threw her hands up in exasperation.

"How about….The Maternal Alliance?" Oslofjord proposed. Everybody swiveled their heads to look at her.

"Well, that is an interesting proposition." Darjeeling said.

"What does that mean?" Dingo asked. Oslofjord gulped. "Well, it would present us as the 'Mothers' of Japan, united in an alliance against the aggressive Kuromorimine." She explained. Darjeeling's eyes lit up. "That's it!" She shouted. "That is the perfect name!" She puffed out a breath of admiration. "The entire world will see us as the face of Japan."

"Okay, I guess it's fine." Dingo rolled her eyes. Trout nodded her head in excitement. "Yes!" She exclaimed.

"Seems good to me." Asparagus said. Eclair smiled. "I like it." She added. Kilimanjaro leaned back in her seat. "it's a fit." She muttered.

"I don't have a problem with it." Bosphorus said.

"And it's official! We are 'The Maternal Alliance'!" Darjeeling shouted. "We will become the protector of all other schools that are under threat!"

 **Kuromorimine High School**

Maho slumped down against the table, resting her head on her arms. Erika walked up to her, some coffee in her hand. "Is something wrong, commander?" She asked. Maho straightened up. "No." She quickly replied. Erika frowned. "It's alright, commander. If you feel a bit down after talking to your sister, it's fine." She told her. Maho shook her head. "No, no. It's not that. I'm just a bit tired." Erika shrugged. "Alright, commander." She said.

Maho took out a map of Japan. "We're surrounded by enemies, we won't last long in a protracted war, I'll tell you that." She exclaimed. She set the map down on the table, with Erika peering behind her.

"It's already a fact that we'll be forced to fight on several fronts. In the southeast, We have Maginot and BC Freedom to fight. And obviously in the north Bonple is something we have to deal with. Gregor is also an obvious dangerous threat to our east," She said. But then she smiled. "Let them come. And whoever else wants to attack may come. We'll beat them back."

Erika stared at her. "Commander, how are we going to do that?" She asked. Maho smirked. "Well, our first priority is to take out Bonple. We're going to go on the defensive against Maginot and BC Freedom. Our positions are unbreakable in the south."

"But what about Gregor?" Erika pointed to the western half of Fukushima. Maho grinned. "Don't worry. I have insiders there. And Anzio could create a diversion for them," She replied. "We'll have to destroy Bonple quickly before Maginot and St. Gloriana can grow in strength."

Erika smirked. "Then we take out Maginot and BC Freedom in one swoop." She added.

"St. Gloriana won't be able to stop us once all of her allies are dead or maimed," Maho paused. "Then we destroy Pravda." She finished, drawing an x over Aomori with a pencil.

 **Several kilometers away from the Fortress City of Osaka, United front High School**

Ikeda sat along with several other commanders, pouring over maps of Osaka and the surrounding areas.

"Hosomi!" Ikeda called.

"Yes?" The other commander responded.

"How many divisions do we have right now?" Ikeda asked. Hosomi called for a minute. "Around eight." She replied. Ikeda nodded. "Good. That should be enough."

"Are you sure? The Blue Tigers have amassed more than 200,000 troops in Osaka." Hosomi answered. Ikeda cleared her throat. "Do they have armor and air support?" She asked.

"From what I can tell, they have old tanks from Maginot, Saunders, Kuromorimine and St. Gloriana. I don't know anything of their air power." Hosomi answered. Ikeda gave a small laugh. "See, nothing to worry about!" She declared. "We must attack them at once."

"And their troops are no more than militia. They may outnumber us, but numbers are nothing against skill," Ikeda stood up. "We will smash their flanks and charge the gates. Our artillery and airstrikes will pulverise everything they have crawling outside! Our tanks will lead the assault that will destroy them!" She boasted.

The other commanders laughed and cheered. Ikeda sat back down. "In all seriousness though, we have to take Osaka. It's their main and only port, where they get a lot of their supplies," She said. "I want the 2nd division to keep Kashihara and Nara from Osaka. 11th division-" She turned towards a small girl with black pigtails. "-Kuroda, I want you to take Hanan, Senan and Izumisano. Izumi and Izumiotsu and Takaishi will be left to the 4th division under Kawabe. Hosomi, take the 9th and 17th divisions to attack Sakai. Tondabayashi, Kawachinagano, Osakasayama will be under the 7th division. The remaining divisions establish a perimeter against Osaka itself," She ordered. "Take it slow. Use our advantage of armor and airpower against them. If things get too tough, reorganize and attack again. But don't let the Blue Tigers rest even for a minute." She explained.

 **Several Hours Later**

A platoon of Type 89 Chi-Ro Medium tanks rolled through the forest trails, while a column of Type 97 tankettes trailed from behind. Thousands of troops walked beside them. Their boots _crunched_ against clumps of dirt and fallen branches on the ground. Their light brown uniforms blended them into the trees around them. They all were armed with Type 99 and Type 38 Arisaka bolt-action rifles, with a few Type 100s and Type 96 LMGs in between.

They advanced quickly, as they were the vanguard of the attack against Kawachinagano. The flag of Chi-ha-Tan fluttered against the wind at the front of the marching troops. The officer in front held a shin guntō in her hand. She looked around the trees surrounding her. _The enemy could ambush us at any moment.._ she thought. _We have to be prepared for anything._

But nothing came. They marched forwards unstopped by any enemy force, not even recon or screening forces. The officer realized she was tensed up, and relaxed her entire body. _This is my first time out in the field. I can't disappoint my girls, I have to encourage them._ She thought to herself. _If I break down, what will happen to my subordinates?_

They broke the forest and entered a large clearing. They saw the outline of tall buildings in the distance across the field, barren except for a few trees and fences.

And for the thousands of Blue Tiger soldiers, of course. Lined up in trenches and foxholes, they opened up as the first Chi-ha-Tan soldier came into view.

"Take cover!" The officer screamed as soldiers tumbled down like bowling pins. All soldiers scrambled to the ground while bullets whipped by them. Luckily for them they were on the other side of a slight hill, so most of the shots flew above them harmlessly.

The Type 89 Chi-Ros began lumbering up the hill, firing their 57mm guns. Puffs of smoke came out as the shells discharged, throwing themselves at the United Front defenders. Clouds of brown dirt all around the trenches forced the defenders to hunker down against their positions.

Infantry crawled up the hill and set their sights against the Blue Tigers. The _crack_ of bolt-action rifles and the constant _rattling_ of the machine guns made it seem the battlefield was engulfed by a thunderstorm. The thunderclaps of explosions threw soldiers into the air, tossing them around like a baby would with its toys.

One soldier aimed the sights of her Type 99 rifle at a Blue Tiger member below her. Her head was aligned perfectly with the little iron sight at the very front of her rifle. Sweat dripped down from the soldier's forehead, landing on the rifle. She began to shake as her finger slowly closed around the trigger. She shut her eyes tight when she pulled, and the violent jerk of the kickback pushed the stock of the rifle into her shoulder.

The bullet raced through the air to find it's target at an instantaneous speed. The bullet violently collided with the Blue Tiger's helmet, pushing through the steel cover and lodging itself into her skull. Her brain and skull imploded, splattering blood and brain matter all around like a watermelon. The headless corpse fell forwards, landing on the bloodstained ground below.

A Blue Tiger soldier fired her MG34 at the Chi-ha-Tan soldiers on the hill. She saw the bullet impacts on the foot of the hill, and raised her machine gun to correct her aim. A faint smile crept onto her lips as this time the rounds hit her targets. Several figures on top of the hill stumbled down the hill like ragdolls.

Her gun stopped firing, and she quickly realized she was out of ammo. _Shit!_ She screamed in her head. _Fuck! I'm done for!_

"Are you alright?" A voice prompted her to turn her head. It was one of her friends. "Yes, I need more ammo!" She shouted. The other soldier nodded. "Okay, you take this. I'll get ammo." She tossed the MP34 she held at the machine gunner, and ran off towards the rear to get ammo.

She ran through the trenches, ducking under barbed wire and the occasional explosion. She shrinks her body as several soldiers run past her in the narrow trench, carrying MP18 SMGs and grenades over their backs.

"Enemy plane! Get down!" Someone shouted. The soldier craned her neck up and saw the unmistakable shape of a plane heading right towards her. She dove to the ground as the Ki-27 fired a burst of cannon fire. A few unfortunate girls were caught in the strafing run; each shell fired resulted in an explosion of blood. Girls staggered down, holding their intestines in their hands. One soldier had her right leg ripped off, with her shin bone being exposed outside of her flesh and muscle.

The soldier got back up and wiped blood off her face. She saw the carnage the plane had left behind: the entire trench was filled with mangled corpses. The soldier cursed as her foot slid in a pool of blood. She slipped and her face nearly landed in the gaping hole in a dead girl's temple, with her Brain leaking out. Startled, she stood back up and ran down the trench and sprinted full speed towards the supply trench.

The gunner pulled her head down as a flurry of bullets landed right next to her. She peeked over the trench and pulled the trigger of her MP34. She screamed when a bullet struck her SMG out of her hand. The gun clattered against the ground, and the soldier fell down, hyperventilating. She reached her hand to grab the snail magazine, but pulled back when a bullet _pinged_ when it hit the magazine. She cowered down in her trench, curling up into a little ball. Little pieces of dirt rolled down her helmet, and her vision was covered with a brown hail of dust and earth.

The Chi-ha-Tan forces suffered pretty heavy casualties so far in the battle. Bodies that were soaked in their own blood dotted the hill. Artillery from the rear had begun their assistance, raining shells from on to the entrenched Blue Tiger forces. Little puffs of white smoke above the defensive positions, raining thousands of hot metal shards on the enemy below. Dozens of tanks lurched forward, firing their main cannons and machine guns. The Type 97 tankettes scurried ahead of the main army, their 7.7mm machine guns cutting through foxholes and entire trenches.

Slowly, the Chi-ha-Tan troops inched towards the first trench lines. Armed with Type 100 SMGs and grenades, two dozen girls crawled through open ground. Whenever a Blue Tiger soldier tried to shoot them, a line of troops would suppress them with a chorus of rifle fire.

As they got to the nearest trench they began their assault. They burst from the ground and threw their grenades. The grenades sailed through the open air, landing in several points across the trench. They exploded, killing Blue Tigers soldiers and smoking more out into the open, where they were gunned down. They ran down the trench, shoot down any enemy that stumbled into their presence. The Blue Tigers reorganized and tried to push them back, using old Springfield and Mauser rifles, but they lacked the firepower and were driven off.

The Chi-ha-Tan officer crawled up to the top of the hill and raised her head. The Blue Tigers have suffered very heavy casualties, and were being pushed back. Hundreds of bodies littered the battlefield, turning the once green field into an ocean of blood. The symphony of artillery and machine guns turned the rolling field into a crater-filled wasteland. She looked across the hill, where dozens of Chi-Ros and hundreds of infantry that were aiming down at the beleaguered defenders.

She stood up straight, in full view of the Blue Tigers. Bullets whizzed by her head as she stared down the hill. She looked back at the surprised Chi-ha-Tan soldiers behind her. "The enemy is on their last legs! One more charge and they will shatter. Girls, fix bayonets!" She ordered. The Chi-ha-Tan infantry attached their Type 30 Bayonets on their Type 99 and 38 bolt-action rifles, and Type 2 bayonets for their Type 100s while the Type 96 machine gunners continued to suppress the enemy below. The officer raised her guntō in the air. "This is the spirit of Chi-ha-Tan! Charge!" She screamed. The mass of girls rose up, and with a ear-splitting roar, they charged down the hill like a tidal wave of steel.

The astonished defenders tried their best to hold them back. But for every soldier they kill, another one replaced her. The charge reached the trench lines, where the soldiers jumped in waving their rifles, to the dismay of the defenders who tried to push them out but to no avail.

The fight quickly became a close quarters brawl. Girls from both sides wet their bayonets in blood, stabbing and gutting each other mercilessly. The officers swung their swords, slicing limbs and necks off in a fury of bloodlust. The occasional pistol was heard being shot in the ensuing chaos, which ripped through flesh and bone in the close quarter melee.

The Chi-ha-Tan attackers pushed the defenders back through the trenches, leaving a bloody trail of corpses. One Blue Tiger soldier, wielding a miaodao sword, lunged at the Chi-ha-Tan officer. The officer blocked it with her guntō, and pushed the soldier away with a powerful kick to the stomach. The soldier staggered back, and was unprepared when the officer jumped on her with the guntō. She swiped downwards, but the soldier raised her right hand up, and the two swords made a loud _clang_ as they clashed together. The officer kicked the miaodao out of the soldier's hand, and it skidded away. She slashed across the soldier's chest, and thick blood spurted out of the huge gash that she had created. The soldier jerked her body up, shrieking in pain. The officer cut across her neck, before she got off the soldier and ran off. The soldier's spasmed while she gurgled out blood for the last few moments of her life.

The soldier who had run off to get ammo for the MG34 had just gotten a crate full of bullets when she heard the panicked shouts coming from the front. She looked over just to see several Chi-ha-Tan soldiers burst into the supply area. The soldier dropped the crate and pulled out her FN Model 1910 pistol in a quick reaction. She closed her left eye and aimed at at closest enemy. Firing once, a single Chi-ha-Tan girl crumpled to the ground with a bullet in her temple. One girl charged the soldier with her bayonet out. The soldier jumped out of the way, and the girl stumbled forwards. The soldier slammed the magazine of the pistol against the back of her nape. The girl fell down, and the soldier proceeded to pump a single round to the back of her head. Turning around, she saw she was she was alone against what she could only guess was a platoon of Chi-ha-Tan troops. She groaned, and began shooting.

Bodies piled around her, all riddled with bullet holes. The soldier backed into a corner, panting. She waved her FN 1910 out frantically. The Chi-ha-Tan girls looked at each other with a certain uneasiness. A single soldier had just killed half their platoon within minutes; this girl was a monster. The soldier aimed again and pulled the trigger. However, this time the gun only clicked in response. She realized in horror that she was out of ammo. The Chi-ha-Tan soldiers, realizing this charged her. The soldier grimaced, and charged in herself.

Using the pistol as a melee weapon, she smashed several skulls in before she was finally surrounded and taken down. She didn't even scream when half a dozen bayonets impaled her body. She collapsed to the floor, where the Chi-ha-Tan troops continued to thrust their bayonets in her lifeless body.

The remainder of the Blue Tigers streamed out of their positions in a panicked frenzy and back into the town of Kawachinagano, where there was safety. The Chi-ha-Tan officer jumped on top of a pile of dead Blue Tiger troops and raised her blood soaked guntō in the air. "Victory!" She exclaimed. The rest of the soldiers raised their weapons in the air as well. "Banzai!" They shouted in jubilation. One soldier climbed on top of an empty waved the flag of Chi-ha-Tan up high in the air. They all cheered over their victory against the Blue Tigers, surely a good omen for times to come.

 **Gallipoli High School**

A tall woman marched through the large hallway, which was decorated by elaborate chandeliers and lights, with beautiful frescoes dotting the ceiling and floors. She wore a heavy brown military coat, and a bright red fez that covered her long black hair, which was tied up in a large bun. She touched her red ear piercings in reassurance as her military boots _clacked_ against the tiled floor.

She walked up to two large doors, where two soldiers saluted and opened the doors. She entered the war room, where several officers were standing around, looking at a map-covered table.

"What's going on?" She demanded. The closest officer saluted. "Oh, Commander Mustafa! We are looking at the military situation before us." She replied. Mustafa nodded and walked over to the map.

"So how is it?" Mustafa asked. The officer saluted and pointed to the map.

"Both Anzio and Kebab has seen a growth of military movements around the region. And with recent events, it is feasible that one, if not both will try to expand their borders." She explained. Mustafa raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying we should strike first?" She leaned forward. The officer shook her head. "No, no, not at all! What I'm saying is that we should take a defensive posture. If one of the schools attack the other, it will disrupt the stability of the region."

"We can't let ourselves be maneuvered into a place of weakness," Mustafa agreed. "How about this; if one school attacks the other, we will align ourselves with the defending party and attack the aggressors," She said. "Tell both Bosphorus and Anchovy; We will not permit our neighbors to wage an aggressive war on our border. Or else we will come to the aid of the attacked!" She declared. The officer nodded her head and saluted. "Immediately!" She said. She turned around and quickly spun away.

 **BC Freedom High School Airport**

The airport was bustling with activity as dozens of ginormous St. Gloriana military transport aircraft touched down upon the concrete runways. The bay doors of the planes opened, and a convoy of light and medium tanks rolled out of the insides, followed by throngs of soldiers. They wore khaki-colored battledress with bolt-action rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and antitank guns slung over their shoulders as they marched down the runway.

One of the vehicles that drove down was a Universal Carrier, which raced past the Matildas and Cruisers. It screeched to a halt in front of the airport terminal, where several BC Freedom commanders stood.

Assam jumped over the railing of the Bren Carrier with her beige, woolen blouse floating in the air for a moment behind her. With a soft _tap_ , she landed on the patch of grass. She stood up straight, and a single woman stepped out from the rest of the line of BC Freedom officers.

"You must be Assam." She said, offering her hand. Assam smirked. "And you are Moules?" She accepted with her own right hand. Moules smiled. "It is an honor to meet you. I have heard much about you from Asparagus and Darjeeling," A light bow accompanied her words. "It is my pleasure to be working with you."

"The pleasure is also mine now that I am the supreme commander of the St. Gloriana Expeditionary Force." Assam replied.

"If you are wondering, we have enough tea to last your entire army half a year, if you can understand the concept of reducing your tea times." Moules said in jest. Assam put her hand over her mouth in mock offense. "We must have our tea times in the mornings, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, before bed and midnight snack," She replied. "We cannot even dare to conserve our teas. There will be mutiny from the girls!" They both stare at each other, before bursting into laughter.

"Boy, you Gloriana Girls have it tough drinking your tea every minute of every day." Moules choked out, wiping tears with a handkerchief.

"But it's how we remain elegant." Assam retorted, wheezing heavily. Moules calmed down. "I guess you have a point there," She said. "You girls sure have it easy, don't yo,." She slumped down. "We've been bickering for the past year, somehow managing to avoid fracturing into two completely different schools."

Assam sighed. "On the outside we may seem perfect, but in the inside we are barely keeping things together. Darjeeling, Orange Pekoe and I have been working our asses-" She covered her mouth again, blushing slightly. "My apologies for letting such a vulgar word slip out." Moules waved her hand, dismissing her. "Don't sweat it," She said. "And?" She prompted, and Assam cleared her throat and continued. "We've been working nonstop, trying to keep the school intact. It is difficult running _an entire country,_ but such times has come," She sighed. "And we're forced to fight former friends as well."

Moules nodded. "It is sad indeed the world has come to this. Sometimes I wish I was killed in the chaos after the collapse." She remarked with a certain bitterness.

"Oh well, that is in the past; the present is where we have to focus on." Assam redirected the conversation to a new topic. Moules groaned. "It seems we will have to take the initiative in the event of a war with Kuromorimine."

"We cannot hesitate for a moment against them. Once hostilities begin we will attack them from the west while you girls will penetrate their defenses from the east." Assam told her. Moules nodded. "How many troops do you have?" She asked.

"We plan to land at least 80,000 soldiers in the first two weeks." Assam answered.

"That might just be enough to break through Kuromorimine."

"What are you planning to do with Anzio?"

"We will send four divisions to defend the border against any attack from the east. Anzio will not be able to push through with the troops they have."

"I think you should not underestimate them."

"Don't worry. Our weapons are superior to theirs."

Assam sighed. "I suppose so. We have to concentrate all our resources on Kuromorimine."

They walked through the airport, and once they exited through the front doors a small car was waiting for them. A chauffeur stepped forwards and opened the doors, to which Moules and Assam got in.

The car drove out of the airport and was soon surrounded by a tranquil forest. Large trees race past them, and the concrete road transformed into a gravel path.

"Um, where are we going?" Assam asked, uncertain as to where her destination is. Moules smiled. "Just a small detour." The car bounced up as the wheels skidded over small pebbles. Assam opened the window and peered out. "Oh my God…" She whispered.

The scenery changed from a serene woodland to a blue lake, the sunlight reflecting off the surface like a mirror. The car drove onto a narrow wooden bridge that cut through the center of the lake. Assam looked down at the clear water and saw schools of colorful fish swim next alongside the bridge.

Assam looked at Moules with astonishment. "This is-"

"This is a little spot of untouched mother nature. It's my favorite." Moules said. There was a strange twinkle in her eye. "I wanted to show this to you as a sign of friendship."

"I love it!" Assam exclaimed. Moules chuckled. "Glad you do. Let's stop by the bank and have lunch there. Don't worry, there will be tea."

* * *

 **Hello peoplez. I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Blood vs Iron. I am still working on Projekt Apocalypse, so the people that are following that will have to wait a bit longer.**

 **My (unofficial? Official? I have no clue) Co-writer RedSS asked me about what happened to the men of Japan, if they became ostracized or slaves. I came up with the idea that it all depended on each school. Schools like Sauders would have men be equal as to women, while in Kuromorimine men will be the lower sex. In St. Gloriana and Maginot men would be servants and butlers for the women, but would still fight in segregated units.**

 **I have also figured out the borders for all the schools. At first I didn't really know, and was making the places really vague, but thanks to a review by a user(you know who you are hopefully) I finally got it done. It was pretty hard, figuring out which school went where. It took around 3 tries to really place them down. To name a few, Kuromorimine is the prefecture of Niigata, Ooarai is the lower half of Ibaraki, Bonple is Yamagata, Anzio is Gunma, BC Freedom is Nagano, Maginot is Toyama, the lower half of Ishikawa and the upper half of Fukui. Chi-ha-Tan is the entirety of Shikoku and Wakayama, while United Front encompasses Nara, Osaka, Mie, Kyoto, Hyogo and the lower half of Fukui. Akita(except for the coastline), the western half of Aomori, and the bottom half of Hokkaido belongs to Pravda, with the upper half being Maple. Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki is St. Gloriana, while Saunders has the remainder of Kyushu. Keizoku had the eastern half of Aomori. Okay, that is all. Later!**


	5. Blood and Iron

**Chapter Five; Blood and Iron**

 **The outskirts of Sakai, Osaka, United Front**

"Get down!" An explosion rocked the first floor of the apartment building where three Chi-ha-Tan soldiers huddled together behind a crumbling wall. A billow of dust engulfed the three, and they coughed and covered their faces.

The senior of the three, A Rikugun-Chūi (second lieutenant), raised her head and looked out the window, her hand grasped tightly on her helmet. She aimed her Type 99 rifle but there was another loud explosion, and she ducked back down.

"Shit, this is getting tense." She muttered. One of the other girls looked up. "I thought this would be easy!" She whined. The Rikugun-Chūi looked at her. "What made you think that, Jōtōhei(Superior Private)? This is war." She replied. The Jōtōhei quivered. "When we first invaded a week ago, we cut through them like a hot knife through butter."

"That was because they were unprepared, Jōtōhei." The Rikugun-Chūi said. "Though their resistance is even tougher than expected." She muttered.

There was a loud explosion, and the wall next from them crumbled down, revealing a rubble-filled street. Bodies were strewn around, and blood trickled down into the gutters. The constant chattering of machine guns filled the air. A team of Chi-ha-Tan soldiers dragged a Type 38 75 mm field gun into place in the middle of the street. They immediately began firing the gun, aiming towards the street across the apartment. The gun recoiled backwards as a puff of smoke exited out, and the crew rushed to place another shell in the breech.

"I'm scared." The Jōtōhei mumbled. "I don't want to die."

"We all are, soldier. We all are." The Rikugun-Chui answered, standing up and aiming her Type 99 rifle out the window. Squinting, she locked on a Blue Tiger soldier a street across on the second floor of a coffee shop. She pulled the trigger, and after a loud _pop,_ the rifle pushed back into her shoulder. She pulled the bolt, and the hot cartridge flew back into her face. She grimaced and let out a small grunt when the cartridge burned the side of her cheek. She wiped her cheek, and sat back down behind the wall. She panted, her chest rapidly moving up and down.

"Why does it have to be August?" She complained, wiping her brow with her arm. "It's too damn hot to be out fighting. We should be on summer vacation."

She looked back at the two other soldiers. "Jōtōhei, Ittōhei(Private 1st Class), do you have any family back home?" She asked. The Ittōhei nodded. "I have a boyfriend in Annan." She whimpered. "My grandparents live in Minabe." The Jōtōhei stuttered out. The Rikugun-Chūi nodded. "I have family in Kochi." She dug into her pocket and produced a small picture. "Here, this is my family." She said. "My younger brother was born earlier in July this year." She smiled. "His name is Yamato." She signed, and her face darkened. "I never got to see him. I was conscripted into the army all the way in March." She muttered.

She looked at the two remaining soldiers. "You two need to live if you want to see your loved ones again." She told them. The Jōtōhei gulped. "But what about-" The Rikugun-Chūi held up her hand. "I know. I need to live as well." She chuckled. "But you two are younger, just sophomores, right? I'm already a Senior. So I'm basically an adult now. But you two are still young teens." They all scrunched down as bullets hit the windowsill. The Rikugun-Chūi got up and fired back, before kneeling back down.

"Do whatever it takes to survive the war." She said as she inserted a new stripper clip in. "This is going to only get worse."

The Ittōhei glanced over the window and gasped. "There's enemy tanks!" She shouted. "What?" The Rikugun-Chūi stood up and looked out.

Outside there were three tanks; A Renault FT, A Panzer I, and a Vickers 6-ton rolling towards the Chi-ha-Tan positions. "Get down!" The Rikugun-Chūi dove down as a flurry of bullets flew through the window and hit the wall behind them.

The field gun turned to face the Panzer I. "Fire!" The gun rolled backward, and a plume of smoke shot out from the barrel. There was a loud _clunk_ as the shell punched through the Panzer I. The Panzer I began smoking as the shell landed in a building behind the tanks, destroying the wall of an apartment building.

The Vickers 6-Ton was about to fire at the field gun when there was the _pthunk_ of a mortar. The mortar shell plunged into the turret of the Vickers, and the entire tank exploded, showering the entire street with burning chunks of steel.

The Renault FT rolled forward, firing its 7.5mm Reibel machine gun. The crew cowered as the bullets bounced off the field gun shield. The gun fired, but missed and hit the ground just left of the Renault FT.

Two Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks turned the street corner and proceeded to drive right next to the field gun. They both fired at the same time, right at the Renault FT. The two shells penetrated the hull of the tank, and it shuddered for a minute before stopping completely.

The Rikugun-Chūi peeked over and saw the carnage. She wiped the sweat that had formed over her forehead. "They're destroyed…" She muttered. "Thank God."

"When do we advance?" The Jōtōhei asked. The Rikugun-Chūi shrugged. "When the enemy resistance is about to crumble." She answered. "Though that might take quite a while." She raised her Type 99 and fired, taking down a Blue Tiger sniper. "The air force is blasting them all the way to hell though, so it shouldn't take much longer."

A flight of Kawasaki Ki-32s flew over the city of Osaka. The entire metropolitan was a mess. Billows of smoke rose up, creating gray clouds that overlooked the city over what was otherwise was a sunny August day.

The flight leader craned her neck as she looked out her cockpit. She could see the flashes of explosions traces of gunfire. The din of combat was present throughout the entire city. She noted the lack of anti aircraft fire; they were too busy dealing with the infantry below or were not even present at all.

She saw the torrent of people running out at the north end of the city. If she directed her wing and dropped their loads on them, it would create hundreds, if not thousands of casualties. But that was not their intention or mission. They were to locate and destroy an artillery position that were creating trouble for the soldiers in Habikino.

She finally spotted the artillery position; the flashes of explosions and the pockets of smoke allowed her to pinpoint the location. "We are approaching the target. Prepare to drop load in 120 seconds." She radioed to the planes behind her.

The plane shuddered as she turned the control stick to the right. The Ki-32 veered east, and the planes behind followed suit. They dove towards the ground, and the lead pilot felt blood rush to her head as they nosedived at an incredible speed. The buildings grew bigger as they loomed closer to their targets.

She saw the three 15 cm sFH 18 howitzers at work, blasting 43.52 kg shells into the air. Every time they fired the barrel recoiled down, and the crew stepped back and covered their ears as a deafening _boom_ echoed through the clearing.

"Alright ladies, time to show who's boss!" She shouted. "Follow me!" She aimed her plane towards the artillery, and the artillery crew scrambled out of the way as they saw the squad of dive-bombers buzz above them.

"Now!" The pilot felt her plane feel much lighter as the four 100kg bombs dropped out from the Bomb bay and sailed to the ground. She pulled up on the control stick as hard as she could, and the plane slowly arced back up into the sky, barely skimming the surface of the trees. She turned her head backwards, and was ecstatic to see four red explosions billow up in a mushroom cloud. Her plane shook violently as the air got pulled into the explosions, and she had to push harder to get out of the suction. The following planes also dropped their bombs, and rose back up to the atmosphere as the ground below them got churned up.

"We did it, good job!" The pilot exclaimed. The wing turned around to land back at base, leaving behind several craters and destroyed pieces of artillery, with their dead crews scattered around the empty clearing.

"Please evacuate in an orderly fashion!" The police officer bellowed as tens of thousands of civilians streamed past him. Stuffed into cars or stuck on foot, they jammed the roads leading out of Osaka and hampered important military reinforcements from coming in. The local police and garrison forces assisted the evacuation, directing the people to where they will be taken to safety. People screamed and cried as explosions rocked the very ground they stood on. Despite the efforts of the authorities to keep everything organized, the situation was getting horrendously chaotic.

The young Blue Tiger soldier was among the ones directing the evacuation, helping people get to the right areas, sometimes even having to use her Mauser rifle to roughly push aggressive civilians out of the way.

She was just finished helping an elderly man onto a small bus she was grabbed from behind by an old woman. Though two other soldiers was dragging her to the bus, she was resisting as much as she could.

"My baby! My child! I need my child!" She screamed. "I need him!"

"Ma'am, be concerned about your own safety!" One of the soldiers dragging her shouted. "I need my boy!" The woman wailed.

The young soldier bent down. "Was he with you when you evacuated?" She asked. The woman shook her head. "I was out shopping when the order came. He was home alone at the time." Tears streamed down her face. The young soldier gripped the woman's shoulders. "Where is your house?" She demanded. "Hiranomachi, Chuo ward 3 chome!" The woman replied shakily. The young soldier stood up. "I'll bring your son. I promise." She said. "Thank you!" The woman cried as the young soldier turned around and ran against the human tide.

 _Chuo ward, I'll have to cross the rail bridge,_ the young soldier thought to herself. She jumped over heaps of broken brick and stone and traversed through abandoned neighborhoods. There was nobody in this part of the city anymore, but there were scores of corpses lying on the streets with blood spilling out of their bodies. Clothes and furniture was strewn outside, as civilians that were trying to run desperately took their belongings with them but found them in the way, so discarded them in the end. Pets were also abandoned, and were roaming around the empty streets.

She reached the Hankyu-Kyoto line bridge over the Yodo river. On the bridge was an abandoned train hanging off the side. The young soldier tiptoed her way across the bridge, eventually jumping into the train by way of the broken front glass. She ran through the silent train cars, with only the occasional body to greet her. With each explosion the entire train would shake, causing the young soldier to lose balance.

She escaped the train and was back on the train tracks. She trekked her way down the rails, only getting off when she reached the train station.

She gagged when she saw the scene at the train station. The platform was in itself a hell all in its own. Body parts littered the entire platform, and no tile was left unsoaked by the unimaginable amount of blood. Vending machines were toppled over, their contents spilling out. Bodies with the color of dark red flesh and muscle were piled up on high, almost touching the ceiling. The remains of pulverized human were left glued to the train tracks. The smell of rotting flesh was overwhelming, and the thousands of flies _buzzed_ around her en masse as if it was one single living organism.

She couldn't take it; she vomited, which only contributed to the stench and filth. She was too glad in getting out of there.

She sped through the city, surprisingly encountering live human combat. But not the way she anticipated, or wished. The first one was a man robbing an empty convenience store.

The window was broken and the racks were devoid of their goods. The young soldier raised her rifle and carefully stepped over to the window. "Who's there?" She asked warily. Out comes out a man around in his thirties, carrying several plastic bags filled with food. He grinned awkwardly at the young soldier, who motioned him to drop his things. He complied, dropping his bags and raising his hands up in the air. "I don't see a problem with taking what's been left behind, miss." He chuckled, touching the stubble on his chin. He took a step back, and in under a second had run off into the direction from where the young soldier had come.

The soldier was walking down a residential neighborhood when she heard a scream from within one of the houses. She sprinted to the house from where the scream originated. It was a small two story house, with ornaments dotting the green lawn. The front door was wide open, swinging in the wind. The young soldier crept through the main hallway, past the empty front room and bath room. It was in the living room where she saw the source of the noise.

In the center of the room was a small wooden table, with a broken vase and lamp next to it on the floor. On the table were two female bodies, the older one facing the ceiling while the younger facing downwards. Both were stripped naked, the older one just her shirt, while the younger one completely. There were dry tears on both of them, and streaks of blood on the lower half of the younger girl, who looked no older than twelve.

There were two male bodies to the side of the wall. One was the father, while the other one must have been the son. Both had enormous bloody gashes on their chest. The gaping holes was the source for the blood splattered against the yellow walls. Both had faces of shock plastered on them.

Then there was the man, who looked to be in his fifties. He stood behind the deceased young girl, grabbing the cold torso. He looked up in surprise as the young soldier entered the room. He had a large grin and his eyes were wild. In his right hand was a bloody ax, clearly the weapon used to murder the family. The young soldier stepped back in revulsion as the man stepped away from the dead girl, revealing his exposed genitals which were covered with black blood. The man with a grin beckoned the young soldier to come over to him with his ax, using his free hand to wipe his genitals of the blood from the little girl. Shock, anger, disgust, despair, then hatred overtook the young soldier as she took in the gruesome scene. She gripped her rifle, and lunged towards the man.

She left the house, with a bloodied bayonet and a expression of misery etched on her face.

She continued on with her journey, stumbling across corpse-filled streets. Her heart nearly exploded when she clearly heard a moan from just across the corner.

She darted to the corner, a barbershop and almost stumbled over the half dead man lying on the ground. "Help me." He moaned, raising his hand. "Help me!"

The young soldier looked down down, and saw only the upper half of the man. His intestines were trailing behind him, along with a stream of blood flowing down the paved road. The young soldier stared at the man, who continued to beg. "I'm sorry." She mumbled before running past him.

"You murderer! You bastard!" The wails of the man died down as the young soldier got farther and farther away, tears falling off her cheeks.

She reached her destination, Hiranomachi, Chuo ward 3 chome. She walked down the street, trying to detect any signs of human life. Then she heard it. The cries of a young child. _Over there!_ She turned to the house in the middle of the block.

She stormed through the front door, which was open. She ran through each room and hall, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Little boy, where are you? Help is here!"

"Up here!" A young boy's voice trailed down from the second floor. The young soldier leapt up the stairs and screeched to a halt in front of a room, with the door being blocked by several pieces of rubble. "Little boy, are you in here?" She asked in a shaky voice as she pounded the door. There was a pound from the other side, and there was an affirmative "Yes!".

"I can't open the door, miss!" The boy cried frantically. "I'll get you out!" The young soldier reassured him while throwing the chunks of rubble out of the way.

She got all the rubble away from the door, and tried turning the doorknob, but it did not turn. _Locked? Jammed?_ Her mind imploded with this unexpected obstacle. "Hold on! Step back!" She ordered the little boy. After hearing the scurrying of feet as an affirmation to her order she took aim with her Mauser rifle at the hinges of the door. _Crack!_ With a shot the hinge was blasted into pieces. She raised her rifle and repeated the process. _Crack! Crack!_ Two more shots and all three hinges were broken. Using the butt of her rifle she slammed into the door, trying to break it down. She used her rifle as a battering ram, again and again with a loud _don_ the rifle was hurled against the wooden door, each time creating a deeper dent in the door.

Eventually the door crashed down, and the young soldier fell with it. She landed with a loud _thud_ on the floor. She looked up and saw a young boy, just around the age of eight staring down at her. "Are you here to rescue me?" He asked apprehensively. The young soldier nodded.

The little boy began to tear up as he stumbled over to the young soldier. The young soldier grabbed him and pulled him in a tight embrace. "It's alright. Everything is alright. You're safe now." She said, choking out sobs. They both crumpled to the floor stuck together, bawling their hearts out.

The sniper adjusted her Gewehr 98, peering through her scope from the top of the building. Just across the street was a Chi-ha-Tan position, with several soldiers lying down behind safety. _Safety, let's see about that,_ the sniper chuckled to herself as she found a particular target. She was a small girl, with her helmet almost too big for her. Her Type 38 certainly was too big for her, it almost being the same length of her entire body. The sniper smiled as her finger moved towards the trigger. But before she could pull it, her finger and mind froze.

 _She's a human too, I can't just shoot her,_ she thought. _I can't…_ She began to shake, which in turn shakes her rifle as well. She shook her head. _They attacked us, so they deserve it! They killed my friends and family!_ She justified to herself. She held her breath as she took aim once again. She fired, and pulled the bolt back. She looked into the scope in anticipation of the kill, but what she saw twisted her initial gleeful smile into a state of shock.

Her target was alive and well, except for the gaping hole in her shoulder. The sniper cursed and aimed her rifle once again. She tried to fire, but her heart stopped when she saw the contorted expression of agony on the girl's face as she squirmed on the ground. The sniper could only imagine the pained screams for a medic. Her eyes widened at the prospect of ending her life. _I can't do it. What right do I have to end another person's life?_ She desperately thought. _But she probably killed someone I knew,_ she countered herself. _What's wrong with taking a life that is a danger to us?_

Her breathing became heavy as she tried to clear her head. _This isn't right. But what they started isn't right. I'm defending my home. They're trying to destroy it. I've done enough already, right? No, I've only maimed her, she can still be an asset to the enemy._

She leaned her head forward, her mind full of conviction. _This time..._ her eye pressed up against the scope, she stared down at the wounded soldier below.

In her crosshairs she saw a Type 97 Chi-Ha roll up into the street. It stopped, blocking the wounded soldier and raised its Barrel right at the sniper.

The sniper raised her head up and put her rifle down. _I guess I couldn't decide after all,_ she thought bitterly to herself.

The building exploded, causing it to collapse. The barrel of the Type 97 was smoking, and it advanced up the rubble, gunning down all enemy troops still crawling around.

 **Kuromorimine High School Airport**

Maho and Anchovy stood by the edge of the airstrip, looking at the sky.

"Why are we waiting here?" Anchovy asked. She had no idea what was going on, just only waking up a few hours ago. "Man, when are we having lunch?"

"Just wait and see." Maho replied with an excited tone. She was eager to see how the crazy girl would enter this time. "She's going to put on a show you can't miss."

"But the Neapolitan Carpaccio made for us is going to get cold." Anchovy whined. "Can't we watch from inside?"

"No, no. We cannot." Maho repeated. She looked at her watch. "It should be time…"

They both heard the noise of a propeller, they looked up and saw in the sky a fighter plane flying straight forward. "Here she is!" Maho exclaimed cheerfully.

The plane dove down, it's nose directly aiming for the ground. It sped downwards, twisting its frame in doing barrel rolls along the way.

"What the hell?" Anchovy shouted. Maho smiled. "Keep watching."

The plane suddenly veered up, its fuselage barely skimming the concrete runway. Slowly it rose up, just enough to fly above the heads of Maho and Anchovy. As it flew past them the powerful winds that accompanied it blew Maho's hat off. It zoomed back up, until it was a black dot in the middle of the sun. It turned upside down as it flew away from the two.

It turned rightside up again as it arced back towards the runway, continuing to barrel roll. It rolled one last time before sailing onto the airstrip. It bumped and skidded across the surface, but stopped once it got to Maho and Anchovy. Anchovy was gaping while Maho was clapping her hands.

The aircraft was a Hungarian MÁVAG Héja fighter plane. The cockpit opened and out came Géza, the Admiral of Arrow Cross High School.

"Well done, magnificent!" Maho applauded. Géza bowed. "That was only the preliminaries." She said with a smirk. "You're absolutely crazy!" Anchovy shouted. Géza laughed. "And we need some crazy to calm down this world."

"And what did you call me in for?" She asked Maho. "We're still waiting for two more people." Maho replied. "Who?" Anchovy asked. Maho waved her hand. "Now now, just wait and see." She only said.

A few minutes later a biplane appeared. A Polikarpov Po-2 glided down the sky and landed perfectly on the runway.

Two woman got out the aircraft, wearing goggles and helmets. One of the women took off her gear which revealed a beautiful face with long blonde hair.

"Klara." Maho said as the woman walked over to the group. Klara jumped up and hugged Maho. "It's been a while!" She shouted. Maho smiled. "It has, hasn't it?" Klara let go and shook hands with Géza and Anchovy. "How's it being under Katyusha?" Géza teased. Klara beamed. "She is wonderful! It is so fun being with her!" She answered. "And why didn't Katyusha come?" Anchovy raised one of her eyebrows. "She had an important meeting to go to." Klara explained.

There was a loud roar, and all three glanced up and saw a Kawasaki Ki-56 transport aircraft looming above them. It landed on the airstrip, its twin propellers halting its spinning. The doors opened and Tamada stepped out.

"Nishi-dono was unable to attend today." She announced. Maho nodded. "That's fine." She looked at the group. "Alright, everybody is here."

A Mercedes rolled up to the runway, and the chauffeur opened the doors. He saluted when Maho and the others walked towards the car. Maho waved her hand in response as she got in the front seat, while Klara, Géza, Anchovy and Tamada piled in the back.

"It's a bit too cramped in here." Klara complained. "I feel fine." Tamada said. "Hm, this feels just like the Carro Veloce." Anchovy noted. "Maybe we should put someone in the trunk." Géza suggested. Maho chuckled. "You guys will just have to deal with it for a while." She told them.

The Mercedes drove out of the airport and into the city of Niigata. They zigzagged through the streets and through dozens of neighborhoods.

"Where are we going?" Anchovy asked. "A restaurant." Maho replied. "Restaurant?" Klara repeated. Maho nodded. "It's a good place I found."

The Mercedes stopped by a large building, and they all stepped out. "This place?" Tamada asked. "Yeah, let's go." Maho began walking up the stairs to the front door. She turned around and looked at the four girls below. "Are you coming?" She asked with a slightly menacing tone. "Yes, ma'am!" They quickly followed her up the stairs.

They sat down at a table, and a waiter scurried towards the table. "Mein Führer, what would you-"

"Currywurst please." Maho replied.

"Kar-kar-kartoffelsalat and Dampfnudel." Anchovy stuttered out.

"Schäufele." Géza said in a bored tone.

"Stollen." Tamada exclaimed.

"Pickert." Klara licked her lips.

"Right away." The waiter saluted and ran off. Maho looked on as he rushed towards the kitchen. "This place is one of the best German places in all of Japan. I know the owner personally." Anchovy nodded. "This seems like a good place."

"So, what compelled you to bring us here?" Géza asked. "What?" Maho shrugged. "I wanted to have lunch together."

"But there must be much more to it." Klara interjected. Maho backed up in her seat. Okay, okay." She put her hands in the air. "I've gathered you here to sign an alliance against St. Gloriana, BC Freedom and Maginot." She explained.

"Oh, that's it?" Tamada said. Maho nodded. "Hm, we do need a formal alliance to oppose the new 'Maternal Alliance' that Darjeeling managed to cook up." She said. "They managed to completely surround us."

"So you called us to fight them back?" Géza leaned back in her chair. Maho nodded. "If we can pull together, we can oppose Darjeeling on equal terms."

"Klara." Tamada waved at Klara, who looked up. "I would like you to stop sending arms and supplies to United Front. It hampers with our mission." She stated.

"We are not aiding United Front." Klara replied quickly. Tamada hesitated. "But the Red Dragons we have encountered in the north clearly had arms and tanks that Pravda field." She said apprehensively. "That is not us." Klara narrowed her eyes. "That is Bellwall. If you have a problem, I suggest you go to them." She clarified in a low tone, to which Tamada nodded her head.

"Here is your food." The waiter brought the dishes and placed them by the girls.

"Mmm, this stollen is amazing!" Tamada sucked on her fingers as the sugary powders were glued to her hands. Géza cut the schäufele with a fork and knife. "This is good." She noted. Klara finished a pickert. "I've never eaten anything like this." She said. "Wow, this is so good!" Anchovy shouted as she swallowed a dampfnudel.

"I know right?" Maho agreed, cutting the currywurst into little pieces. She put the endpiece into her mouth, and began chewing. She swallowed and took a swig of water.

"So, what do you think?" She put down her utensils. The other girls looked at her. "An alliance!" Maho exclaimed. "I think it is a good idea." Tamada spoke up. "We would be a bulwark against St. Gloriana." Klara nodded. "I agree. Darjeeling has become a hindrance to the overall balance of Japan. She and her allies must be taken down."

"Darjeeling happened to make an alliance with two relatively unimportant, but potentially deadly schools on their side." Maho said. "Gregor and Viking Fisheries." She sighed. "She really got us. Gregor has a straight path right into Niigata. That's why I called you, Géza. I want you to invade them from the east."

Géza grunted. "Hm, I don't know." She replied. "Aw, come on. You two share Fukushima together. Doesn't it seem like a dream to have the entire prefecture for yourself. More land is never a bad thing." Maho smirked. "Just think about it." Géza pondered for a bit while Maho continued. "Viking Fisheries is the neighbor of Viggens, our main provider of steel. If they fall, our factories will halt production of our tanks and weapons. I talked to Loki the other day, and it seems she wants to remain neutral for the time being. I told her to be wary of any activity from Viking, and if something does happen, she is free to join us at any time."

"Then there's Kebab. They've joined 'The Maternal Alliance' as well." Anchovy added. She threw another dampfnudel in her mouth. "What I'm guessing is that they want Bosphorus to attack me while they overwhelm Kuromorimine."

She groaned. "The thing is, two days ago I got a message from Gallipoli. They warned us that if any of us invade each other, they will align themselves with the defending party."

"So what are you going to do about it?" Klara asked. Anchovy glanced at Klara. "I told them I wasn't going to do anything. And it's true. I'm not going to preemptively attack Kebab."

"So basically you're going to let Bosphorus attack you, and force Mustafa to join us." Maho finished, and Anchovy nodded in confirmation. "That's the game plan." She said.

"Do you have a name for our new alliance?" Géza wondered. Maho smiled. "Yes, It is the perfect name. 'The Iron Front'." She revealed.

"'Iron Front'? What's that supposed to mean?" Tamada asked, chewing a piece of stollen into bits. "Glad you asked!" Maho shouted, standing up. "It means that our friendship will be strong as iron! Our defense and offense will be as powerful as iron! Our resolve will be as hard as iron! Our armies will be as unstoppable as iron!" She exclaimed.

"But steel is much stronger…" Klara raised her finger, but Maho glared at her. "Iron sounds much better." Klara shrugged and lowered her hand.

"I kind of get it." Anchovy said, twirling her fingers across her twin tails. Géza finished her pig scapula. "You know what, I'm in." She chuckled. Tamada grinned. "I like it!"

Klara signed, a tiny smirk on her face. "If you all say so." She muttered.

Maho raised her hand. "Waiter, five glasses and a bottle of champagne!" She shouted. The waiter walked over, holding several glasses and a bottle. "Here you go, mein Führer." He said, placing them all on the table.

Maho poured champagne for the others, then one glass for herself. She raised her glass in the air. "To the 'Iron Front'. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Four voices resonated together as five glasses made a loud _clink_ sound.

 **Bellwall High School**

"Nonna!"

"What is it, Katyusha?"

"Why do we have to come out all the way to the middle of nowhere?"

"Calling this nowhere is a bit rude, Katyusha. You should not be rude to your hosts."

"I know! I just…"

"Don't you know being rude to other people will bring out zombies?"

"Zombies!?"

"Yes, they will come out at night and swallow you whole."

"But you and Klara will protect me, right?"

"Unfortunately, we are both allergic to zombies, so we will be of no use."

"You can be allergic to zombies!?"

"Of course. How do you think zombie outbreaks happen?"

"You get bitten…"

"But if you are allergic you will die, then you will turn into a zombie. People that are not allergic to zombies will be completely fine."

"I've never heard of that before. How come?"

"It doesn't need to be explained."

"And why not?"

"We are all allergic to zombies."

"So it doesn't change anything!"

"You do know she's messing with you, right?" The new voice stopped Katyusha and Nonna as they walked through the street. Katyusha frowned. "Nonna will never do that, right?" Nonna smiled. "Of course not." She replied.

She turned around, and in front of her is a little girl staring right at Katyusha. Her hair was pulled into a bun at both sides of her head, and wore a Cheongsam dress. Her pale skin was almost ghostly white compared to the girls from Pravda. "It's been awhile, hasn't it, Katyusha?" She shouted in a high voice. Katyusha smirked. "Well well, if it isn't little Hunan. How's the view?" She taunted. Hunan shrugged. "At least I don't need to be on mommy all the time to compensate for my diminished pride." She retorted.

"How dare you!" Katyusha scowled. "Don't you dare insult Katyusha!"

"Hello, comrade Hunan. Good to see you in your usual self." Nonna bowed. Hunan gave a wide grin. "Good to see you too Nonna!"

"Chairwoman Hunan! Please stop wandering off by yourself!" A tall woman appeared behind Hunan. She had long yellow hair that rested on her left shoulder. "Shaanxi, don't worry about a thing!" Hunan shouted. Shaanxi had a wore a worried expression. "Who knows what could happen…" She noticed Nonna and Katyusha. "You were invited too?"

"Da, we were told to wait by the governmental mansion." Nonna replied. "We were too." Hunan added. "Why were we even invited?" Katyusha muttered.

"Who knows. I have no clue what that red-haired devil is thinking." Hunan said. "Say, why did you meet up with the Fascists a few weeks back?" She glanced at Katyusha, who turned red. "It, it was for collective security! We both have the same goal in wiping Bonple off the map!" She explained. Hunan nodded. "So you're using them as a shield against the Capitalists."

They walked up the street. "How is everything going back at your school?" Nonna asked. Shaanxi groaned. "We are stuck in the Northern and eastern parts, cut off by both the Blue Tigers and Chi-ha-Tan armies."

"That must be hard." Nonna said. "Yes, it is tough for us to get by…" Shaanxi mumbled.

They ended up at a large house, nearly five stories tall. "Where are we?" Katyusha muttered. "Do we have a map?"

"Hey guys!" The four girls stared in wonder as the front door swung open and a girl with red long hair split into two twintails stood above them.

"Nagasuka Emi! What's this all about?" Katyusha demanded. "Why would you have us wander around in this strange place?"

"Sorry I was at a meeting." Emi responded. "Anyways, come on in."

They sat in the living room, where Emi brought out green tea. "Sorry for calling you out here at a time like this." Emi said, holding her own cup of tea. "Whatever, it's fine." Katyusha sipped on her tea. "Better not be a waste of Katyusha's time."

"I hope not too." Emi agreed. "And? What's your reason?" Hunan prompted with a wave of her hand.

"Well, Pravda, Red Tigers and Bellwall are the only schools in Japan with Socialist leanings, and I thought we need to stick together." Emi explained.

"That is true." Nonna said. "We are thoroughly outnumbered by the Democracies and Fascist schools."

"There is the new 'Maternal Alliance' that Darjeeling created." Shaanxi duly noted. "And Kuromorimine is trying to rally the Fascists to their side as a result."

"We really are out of our league…" Katyusha muttered.

"No!" Emi slammed her fist against the table. "Don't act so pessimistically! This is our chance!" She shouted.

"Chance?" Hunan raised her head. Emi nodded. "This war will show everybody the flaws of their ways. We will be the ones to survive, and everybody will turn to Communism to rebuild themselves! This will be the ripe time for a student revolution!"

"I get it!" Shaanxi clasped her hands together. "We'll wait for them to destroy each other, and we'll come and clean them all up!"

Emi nodded. "That's right. We will become the beacon of a new Socialist international tomorrow!"

"Comrade Emi, that seems like quite the ambition." Nonna said. Emi grinned. "We need to think big in this day and age."

"I like it!" Hunan exclaimed. "Sounds grandiose!"

"Freeing the students is always grandiose! Our hope is in the students." Katyusha added.

"That's right. That is why I have declared our new pact to be called the 'Student's Internationale'!" Emi said with a grin.

"Katyusha approves!" Katyusha exclaimed. "Nice name." Hunan added. Shaanxi smiled. "It has a nice touch to it."

"It sounds nice." Nonna grinned. Emi beamed. "Glad you like it!"

 **In the mountains of Nara, United Front**

A column of Chi-ha-Tan infantry marched through the dense forest, while the Type 97 tanks rolled through the dirt path. One soldier wiped her glasses. _Jesus, why do we have to march under this damn sun?_ She thought she got back in formation.

 _Crack!_ The distinct sound of rifle fire made everybody drop to the ground. The soldier aimed her rifle toward the black forest, but nothing came out.

Until she saw the orange muzzle flash. It sparkled in the distance, and the soldier next to her jerked up and screamed in pain. "I'm hit!" She groaned as she slid to the ground, blood seeping out of her stomach.

Immediately the entire forest lit up in gunfire as the column dispersed to find cover. Soldier after soldier fell with a bullet in their head or torso.

"It's the damn Red Dragons!"

"Ambush!"

"Medic! We need a medic over here!"

The soldiers continued to fall, some trying to fire back into the forest. The path became filled with bodies as the Chi-ha-Tan troops slowly converged into the center. "The tanks! Take cover behind the tanks!" One soldier shouted. She gritted her teeth when a bullet pierced her arm. She dropped her rifle and crumpled to the ground.

Then explosions began throwing the already panicked soldiers into the air. "What the hell? Is this artillery?" One soldier exclaimed.

"They have tanks!" Another soldier shouted. Soldiers grab their bodies as bullets punctured through them. The once green and brown dirt now turned a dark red color. Soldiers began using corpses as cover, as bullets _thudded_ against them.

From within the forest the group of Red Dragon guerrillas fired their DP machine guns and Mosin-Nagant rifles towards the open path, where the Chi-ha-Tan troops were running around. One guerrilla aimed her Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 rifle at the head of an officer waving her pistol in the air. The guerrilla pulled the trigger, and the officer's head exploded, detonating in an explosion of blood and brain matter.

The Type 97 began firing indiscriminately into the forest, spraying metal and fire across the shrubbery. The guerrillas made way as several T-26 light tanks in camouflage rolled up through the forest and fired at the Type 97s.

Within minutes the tanks were a flaming pile of scrap metal. The remaining soldier began running back to their barracks, leaving behind dozens of their dead comrades, allowing the Red Dragons to loot the dead bodies of their weapons.

 **Kuromorimine, 3 km away from Bonple border, around 11:30 P.M.**

Koume was in her study, reading a book she found on her shelf. The study was illuminated by the moonlight as she drowsily turned the pages.

There was a sudden knock at the door. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's Eric, General Akaboshi." Eric's voice called out from the other side. "I'm sorry to interrupt but-"

"How many times have I told you to just call me Koume?" Koume interrupted. "Come in."

The door opened and Eric stepped in. "Orders from the capital….why are you dressed like that?" He looked down and turned red. "Please put some clothes on!"

Koume looked at herself. She was only in her underwear. "This is clothes." She replied. "Do you not want to see me like this?" She pulled on her frilly underwear.

Eric blushed even more as he walked over to Koume and handed her a file. He then turned around and quickly left the study.

"He's too serious." Koume pouted as she looked at the file. In in was a document, which she took out. She carefully read over it.

"Commence Operation Licht on August 7th, A.C. (After Collapse) 1, 6:47 A.M." She chuckled to herself. "Finally, some action!" She rolled into her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

 **Huzzah, now we got two more alliances as a result of the creation of 'The Maternal Alliance'. Good luck Darjeeling, you may have just played yourself. And Bellwall is now here! Bellwall is an underrated/underrepresented school, and I hope they will become a force to reckon in the future.**

 **Well, that's all folks, until later, Auf wiedersehen!**


	6. Failure of Appeasement

**Chapter Six: Failure of Appeasement**

 **August 7th, Eastern Kuromorimine-Bonple Border 7:23 A.M.**

It was a peaceful day for the people in the small town just a few kilometers behind the border. They woke up as always, ate breakfast and tended to their fields. The elderly were also up, doing their daily morning exercises. The soldiers assigned to the small town watched with ease, waving and chatting with the locals. Those not in duty would escort the children to the local school or would help out with the farm work.

One such soldier was walking through the fields, watching the people plant and pick crops. Her Kb wz 98a bolt action rifle was slung behind her shoulder as she strolled down the dirt pathway. She was quite tall, around 167 cm, and had long, blonde hair tied up in a crown braid under her Hełm wz. 31 helmet.

"Kutia!" She turned around and saw two of her squadmates run up to her. "Wait up." the shorter friend panted. Kutia smiled. "You guys are just slow."

"Why do we always get the worst days for patrol? It's hot as hell." The bigger girl complained. Kutia groaned. "It's not that bad, you know." They walked through the neighborhood, where they were greeted by a pair of elderly men walking into the town park. "Hey, ladies!" They called out. "Rare to see the young ones up so early." The soldiers waved at the old men. "Mr. Sakata, please don't injure your hips any further!" The bigger girl shouted. Mr. Sakata gave a toothy grin. "I don't think I can any further!" He replied.

They continued walking down the neighborhood, and encountered three children running down the street. "Hey, you three!" Kutia called. "Don't run out into the street!" The three children looked at the soldiers and waved their hands. "Go to school!" The shorter soldier shouted. The kids grinned and ran off.

"Damn kids…" The bigger girl muttered with a smile. Kutia laughed. "Yeah, they're the lucky ones."

They walked over to their barracks, which was bustling with activity. Dozens of soldiers ran around, carrying crates filled with various materials. Some soldiers were milling around, smoking cigarettes and having an early morning drink. Cars and IFVs were lined up against the parkway.

They walked into the HQ, where staff officers ran with stacks of papers in their hands. Radio operators sat by their radios with annoyed expressions on their faces. "What the hell is with this?" One of them shouted.

"What's wrong?" Kutia asked. The radio operator looked up at her, the huge headphones hanging off her head. "Everything! I can't make contact with mother base or the front outposts." She waved her hands in anger. "There's nothing but static! It's as if we're isolated!" She stood up. "It must be these radios." She muttered as she rapped her fist against the radio. "We need new ones."

The bigger girl suddenly perked up. "Do you guys hear that?" She asked. "Hm?" The younger soldier cupped her hands. There was a low roar in the background, barely audible behind the bustle of the HQ. "It isn't anything." She said. "Probably just some construction."

There was a loud honk from the entrance of the barracks, followed by several shouts. Shrugging, Kutia and the other soldiers rushed to meet the car outside.

There was a Fiat 518 with its engines still running at the gates. The lead officer in charge of the garrison ran up to the car, where three soldiers stumbled out. One soldier had blood seeping out of a wrapped bandage.

"What's the matter?" The officer demanded. The driver of the Fiat 518 looked at the officer, her hat torn to shreds and her clothes in tatters. "Evacuate now!" She shouted as a crowd of soldiers surrounded her. "We're under attack!" At that the crowd began to murmur.

"What? Under attack?"

"Right now?"

"What do you mean?" The officer narrowed her eyes at her. The driver nodded. "Kuromorimine artillery and airstrikes destroyed our radio towers. They're isolating each little town from each other!" She exclaimed. "The town I was assigned to was the first to be hit. Most of our garrison was wiped out by their Panzers and dive bombers. Only a dozen of us survived, and we escaped to warn the other towns of the danger."

"What? How long ago was this?" The officer asked. The driver took a gulp of water that a soldier gave her. "Just around forty minutes ago. I need to go now, I have to warn the other towns." She got into her Fiat. "You have to evacuate the civilians now! Kuromorimine is coming soon!" The two other soldiers jumped in the back of the car, and drove off.

The officer and the throng of soldiers stared at the cloud of dust that settled back down on the road. The officer looked back at the soldiers with a look of horror on her face. "Well?" She shouted. "Get to it! Evacuate the civilians!"

Air raid sirens began screaming all throughout the town. The garrison began banging on all doors, going to every public facility to gather the populace. Dozens of Ursus A lorries parked in the main plaza were filled by hundreds of civilians, overseen by the police and army personnel. Men and women carrying everything they could fit into suitcases and bags piled into cars and drove out of the town.

Then began the artillery bombardment. People looked up at the sky as several high-pitched whines grew closer. Entire houses and blocks was thrown up in a hurricane of steel shells and bombs churned up the earth. People screamed as thousands of tiny pieces of shrapnel riddled their backs.

"Take cover!" Kutia dove to the ground as a plume of dust erupted next to her. She felt crumbs of concrete roll down her helmet and uniform. More whines, and the school and library collapsed on itself. Kutia rolled out of the way as a brick wall fell down with a _crash._

An artillery shell hurled itself at the ground, tearing a patch of trees apart. "Shit!" One soldier exclaimed, grabbing her head with her hands, slouching across the ground. "We're going to die!"

"Shut up!" Kutia shouted, taking cover against a pothole that was created by the bombardment. "We need to wait this out…" She glanced at the plaza. All the trucks were on fire, and the civilians were sprawled across the entire town, blood spilling out of them.

As suddenly as the bombardment began, it suddenly ended. Kutia got back up and wiped off all the dirt and grime that was on her uniform. Other soldiers and civilians got back up warily as well. "Fuck." Kutia stumbled down the street, coughing as she went back to the barracks.

She saw the barracks in chaos. Several buildings had gaping holes in them, with smoke pillars billowing out of them. Bodies littered the grounds, and soldiers had pulled white sheets over their dead comrades. Trucks and tanks were in ruins, their armor and chassis crushed.

"Treat the wounded! Get your weapons and man your tanks!" The officer in charge bellowed as she ran through the barracks. She stopped in front of Kutia and looked at her. "Soldier, get to your station!" She ordered, before running off and yelling at the other soldiers.

Kutia unslung her rifle and rushed to the entrance of the town. Her two comrades also joined her with their Karabinek wz. 1929 bolt action rifles. "What the hell happened?" The bigger girl asked, not quite understanding the severity of the situation. "We were attacked…" Kuita muttered. "And the enemy is getting closer."

They heard a low groan from above them. They turned their heads up to the sky and saw several black planes above them. "What the hell?" The bigger girl said with her jaw wide open.

The planes dipped down, and began diving towards the ground. As they charged downwards, a loud, ear-splitting scream emanated from the sirens that were attached to the undercarriages of the plane.

"Shit! Stukas!" The soldiers scrambled as the dive-bombers roared closer, dropping their payload over the frightened soldiers. The ensuing explosions launched several girls into the air. Kutia's eyes widened in fear as dismembered limbs landed on the ground, a light drizzle of blood splattering against the concrete a few seconds later. The Stukas also began firing their machine guns, cutting through soldiers that remained standing.

"Get up and take cover!" A soldier dragged Kutia back up on her feet. "There's more of them to come!" The sky was covered by the incessant buzzing of propellers, the screaming wail of the jericho trumpets and the grumbling of explosions. Kutia panted as she ran through the mass of dust, eventually reaching a bombed out house. She rolled behind the front wall and gripped her rifle and glanced over the crumbling bricks. Her eyes broadened as she saw through the clouds of thrown up dirt, the dark silhouettes of vehicles slowly approaching the town.

Eight Sdkfz. 251 armored halftracks, followed by six Panzer Is and five Panzer IIs rolled through the fields up to the bombed out town. "Kuromorimine Panzergrenadiers!" Kutia shouted. "We need additional troops!"

The Sdkfz. 251s stopped several hundred yards away, and began firing their MG34 machine guns, its barrels blazing away at the defending Bonple soldiers. The rear doors opened and dozens of panzergrenadiers armed with Karabiner 98k bolt action rifles and MP38 submachine guns jumped out. They wore gray stahlhelms and dark green field uniforms, with grenades hanging off their belts. An officer waved her Luger P08 pistol in the air, encouraging the panzergrenadiers to advance.

Kutia aimed her Kb wz 98a rifle and began firing, pulling the bolt several times and slamming a new magazine in the rifle. Other soldiers began firing as well, forcing the panzergrenadiers to get down on their stomachs. However, the MG34s from the Panzer Is and SdKfz. 251 halftracks suppressed Kutia and her comrades, allowing the panzergrenadiers to crawl up close to their positions.

One panzergrenadier peeked her head over the wall, only to be shot in the face by Kutia. The girl staggered downwards, her face turned to a bloody pulp and unrecognizable. A cartridge flew out of the chamber as Kutia pulled the bolt back and forth, aiming the sight at the panzergrenadiers in front of her.

A panzergrenadier fired her MP38 at Kutia, who took cover as bullets hit the brick wall. Kutia stood up and aimed at the enemy, and fired at her chest. The soldier froze, and looked down at her chest to see a blotch of dark red blood forming in her right breast. Her dead body crashed onto the ground with a _thud_.

"We have to pull back!" A soldier cried before getting shot to ribbons by an MG34. Kutia gritted her teeth. _She's right. We do have to retreat._ All around her comrades lie in pools of their own blood. She knelt down, just so she wouldn't present herself to the enemy beyond the wall, and dashed out of the house.

She glanced backwards, and saw other soldiers beginning to retreat, putting their hand over their helmet and running full speed to more defensible positions, while the Kuromorimine Panzers roared forward, firing their machine guns and cannons.

There was a heavy sandbag position at the end of the street, where a Ckm wz. 30 heavy machine gun was set up. It began firing when Kutia and the other soldiers emerged into its vision, providing fire support to the retreat.

Kutia rolled behind the sandbag and slouched down. She was tired and sweaty, and wheezed as she rolled her head back. "Where is our artillery support?" She gasped out. The soldier next to her scowled. "We don't have any." She replied grimly, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. "The bombardment and the Stukas destroyed all our guns."

Another soldier ran behind the large pile of sandbags. Kutia looked over and saw her younger friend. "Sernik!" She exclaimed. Sernik grinned. "I had to get this baby!" She held up a Mors submachine gun. She stood up and fired off a burst of gunfire. She crouched back down as k98 fire hit the sandbags.

"We have to hold here!" Kutia said, reloading her rifle. "If the enemy passes,they will be able to catch up to retreating units." She leaned over the sandbags and fired off a shot in the general direction of the panzergrenadiers. The Ckm wz. 30 continued to pour out hot lead at the attackers, killing two and injuring several more.

Then the first Panzer II crossed the street. It turned its cannon toward the machine gun, and began firing. The shells ripped through the gunner. Her limbs and torso imploded into tiny pieces of flesh and blood, which sprayed in all directions. A soldier screamed in shock when blood splattered against her face. As the Panzer II showered the street with shells one more Panzer II and a Panzer I came driving in, its barrels trained on the sandbags. _Shit! We can't move because of the Panzers. Do we even have an answer for them?_ Kutia thought as bullets whizzed above her head.

She glanced up at the building right at the corner, and gasped at the sight of a soldier carrying an oversized bolt action rifle with a bipod, while a second soldier carried a normal rifle at the balcony. The first soldier set the Wz. 35 anti tank rifle against the balcony wall and aimed down at the firing Panzer II. He fired, and the anti tank rifle jerked backwards with a loud bang. The Panzer II shook violently before turning motionless. The anti tank gunner pulled the bolt back hard, and aimed at the turret of the Panzer I.

The Panzer I turned to face the anti tank gun, but it was too late. There was a loud _clang,_ and the Panzer I halted its movements.

The Wz. 35 reloaded again, but this time was too slow against the second Panzer II. The Panzer II fired ten rounds up at the balcony, and when the dust cleared all signs that humans were standing there had disappeared.

Two more Panzer Is and and another Panzer II pushed the smoking Panzers out of the way. The panzergrenadiers pulled the cords of their Model 24 Stielhandgranates and threw them over the sandbags.

A grenade landed by Kutia's feet, who kicked it with her left foot. She tried to get up, but was showered by dust and felt sharp pains across her entire body. She fell back down on the ground and began coughing. She rolled over and her head hit the sandbags. A hot, sticky liquid dripped down her head, completely covering her entire left eye. She swiped her hand against her head, and saw it was covered with blood. Her hands trembled as she reached out for her rifle, just out of reach. She leaned forward, and grasped the stock of the rifle. Her vision was once again buried in a storm of dirt. She grabbed her rifle and stood up, her entire body shaking. She couldn't hear anything except for the faintest shouting and gunfire, her hearing impaired by a loud ringing noise. As she turned her head she saw her friend Sernik collapsing to the ground, a mist of blood spraying out of her head. A wave of fear overtook Kutia, and she stumbled backwards and waved her gun around in front of her.

"Freeze." The cold tip of a barrel touched Kutia's forehead. The dust cleared, and in front of her stood an officer, in an oil black uniform and Schirmmütze pointing a Luger P08 pistol at her head. "Drop your weapon." She ordered, pointing the gun at her hands, where the Kb wz 98a rifle rested. She promptly dropped the rifle, to which it clattered on the ground. Kutia slowly placed her hands over her head. The hauptmann holstered her gun and grabbed Kutia by the collar. She began dragging Kutia back to the fields, where the other prisoners were being gathered up, guarded by several troops with MP38s.

The officer tossed the severely wounded Kutia to the ground. "Get her a medic." She ordered, and a short girl with medical supplies rushed over and began treating Kutia. "Wh-why?" She muttered out. "I'm just an-"

"Shut up." The officer ordered. "You could be use of us later." She smirked in a way that unsettled Kutia very much.

 **Eastern Bonple Frontier, Several Kilometers in, 8:27 A.M.**

The volkswagen stopped, letting the columns of Panzers and armored carriers bustle past it. The entire field was covered by the advancing Kuromorimine army. Thousands of troops trudged forwards, while formations of dive-bombers buzzed overhead.

"Nice day for a war, huh." Eric put his hand over his eyes to block the bright sun, taking out a map from the glove compartment. "The invasion was a success, General."

"Yup." Koume looked at the endless procession of armor and personnel. She grinned with her black sunglasses and field cap. "It was a complete surprise. They only ran in the face of our assaults."

"But they did manage to hole up in Mount Asahi. We surrounded them, but I don't think they're going to give up that easily." Eric said with a worried tone. Koume chuckled. "Don't worry. I got Kitayama to take care of them for me." She waved her hand. "Besides, they won't last for that long. Our luftwaffe and artillery corps will pulverize them."

Eric smiled. "Okay, Fräulein Akaboshi." He said, starting up the car. Koume leaned forwards and flicked him in the back of the head. "How many times have I told you to just call me by my name?" She teased. Eric looked back. "We are in a professional setting right now." He replied, pushing the gas pedal. The car groaned alive and trailed behind the marching army. "How long do you think the campaign will last?" He asked. Koume shrugged. "A few weeks at the most." She replied optimistically.

 **St. Gloriana High School, at around 10:43 A.M.**

Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri stood by the wooden door, looking worried. Orange Pekoe looked at Rukuriri.

"She's not coming out, is she?" She sighed out. Rukuriri nodded. "She's been moping in her room for a few days, ever since the announcement of 'The Iron Front'. I think she believes she caused Kuromorimine to sign an alliance with Pravda, of all the schools possible."

"And Chi-ha-Tan is a growing threat as well." Orange Pekoe nodded. "I don't know about Arrow Cross or Anzio…"

"Anyways, Darjeeling isn't seeing anybody except…" Rukuriri trailed off as a tall brown-haired man with short cropped hair in a butler uniform walk past her. "Ah, good morning, Rukuriri-sama and Orange Pekoe-sama." He bowed as he knocked on the wooden door. He rapped his fist against smooth surface. "Darjeeling-sama, it is time for your morning tea." He said in a loud voice.

"Oh, come in William!" Darjeeling's voice piped up from the other side. "It seems you are just a replacement for Assam." Orange Pekoe muttered softly as William opened the door. "No, I'm just her right hand man." He said with a wink before closing the door. "He's even worse than Assam." Rukuriri grumbled under her breath.

William closed the door behind him and walked up to the window, where Darjeeling was sitting in a chair. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Darjeeling looked at him. "Much better, thank you. You're the only thing keeping me together." She answered softly. William bowed. "I am just doing my job."

"You're doing a bloody good one at that." Darjeeling told him as he placed a cup of tea on the table. "I do say I severely underestimated Maho. Who knew she could grab an alliance so quickly."

"But you have more allies." William reminded her. "And they surround Kuromorimine. Even if Bonple does fall, there are still plenty of more schools to defeat them." William sat at the opposite chair. "You should not mope around like this. You have a school to lead." He told her.

"Rosehip what are you-" Rukuriri's voice was cut off as the door crashed open and the figure of Rosehip raced in like a lightning bolt. "Red alert emergency desuwa!" She shouted. "Rosehip, calm down, what happened?" Darjeeling commanded. Rosehip gasped for air. "Kuromorimine invaded Bonple!"

Darjeeling dropped her cup; William shot out of his chair and caught the teacup in his palm.

"Thank you, William." Darjeeling slumped down in her chair. "I should have seen it coming...but this early? How could they…" She muttered.

"Orange Pekoe!" She shouted. Orange Pekoe flinched. "Yes Darjeeling-sama?" She asked. William handed the teacup back to Darjeeling, who took it with a smile. "Go call Kuromorimine for me." She said. Orange Pekoe nodded. "Of course."

Orange Pekoe whipped out her cell phone and dialed Maho's number as she reach the end of the hallway, uncertain of what she would say. She knew that Maho would not listen to her, but it was worth the try. The phone rang for what seemed like ten minutes until somebody picked up.

" _Hello?_ " It was Erika. " _Who is this?"_

"It's been a while, Erika-san." Orange Pekoe's voice remained cool and collected, but her face showed a certain degree of panic. _Oh no, it's Erika. She's a wild card..._ She thought. _How would this turn out?_

There was a slight chuckle from the other side. " _I knew you would call sooner or later."_

Orange Pekoe frowned. So they did expect this after all. "Well, then I hope you know that if you don't pull out of Bonple within 24 hours the entire ' Maternal Alliance' will declare war on you. It's your choice, choose wisely." She growled.

To her shock, Erika began to laugh loudly. Her gasps for air cut through Orange Pekoe like a sickle through grain. "What's, what is so funny?" She demanded aggressively, but her voice was shaky and filled with concern. "This is serious! What you are doing will destroy everything we have built up. Everything will go to chaos because of you!"

" _Oho, oooh, that's hilarious_." Erika wheezed. " _24 hours is a long head start. Are you sure you want to wait that long?"_ She stopped for a minute, regaining her composure. " _Let me tell you something."_ Her voice suddenly turned low and malicious. " _Go take your 'Maternal Alliance' straight to hell. Within a year most of your friends will be either dead or with us."_ She snarled ominously. " _So,I suggest you think. Think hard before making a rash decision."_

The phone slipped out of Orange Pekoe's hand as it hung up, _clattering_ against the tiled floor. Orange Pekoe stood there with a blank stare, trying to comprehend what Erika said. Rukuriri rushed over and held Orange Pekoe by the shoulders.

"Things really have turned against us." Darjeeling sipped her tea. William nodded in agreement. "But we have a clear advantage in manpower and material over them. If we overwhelm them all at once, they will not be able to protect every flank." He said. "It might be tough at the beginning, but if we persevere we will win."

"That's what I like about you. You're so optimistic." Darjeeling exclaimed, clapping her hands together. William chuckled. "I get it from you." He poured another cup of tea while Darjeeling blushed. "You are the most worthy to lead St. Gloriana, as the head of the tea garden and the most ladylike, only you can manage such a task." He continued. "It is an honor that I may be your humble servant."

"Don't say that!" Darjeeling playfully hit William in the shoulder. "You could be so much more!"

"Oh, really?" William looked up. There was a strange gleam in his eyes. Darjeeling coughed. "Of course." She replied.

William stood up and walked over to the door. "Good." He smiled at Darjeeling as he opened the door. "I look forward to my promotion." With that he closed the door.

 _How would I promote a butler?_ Darjeeling thought to herself as she took a sip of tea.

 **Kuromorimine High School, 10:48 A.M.**

Erika hung up the phone and handed it back to Maho. "What did they say?" Maho asked. Erika sighed. "The same thing BC Freedom and Maginot called us for. They really are serious about this, aren't they."

"Such a quick response." Maho mumbled. "Anyways, the advance is going well."

"It is commander." Erika pointed at the map. "Our armies have met little resistance. Heeresgruppe Ost have encountered the most resistance around mount Asahi, but they said they'll take it within the afternoon. Heeresgruppe Nord is literally waltzing through open fields and forests without a care."

"Bonple will be finished in a few weeks at most. They were abandoned by their allies." Maho said with a smirk. She slouched down in her chair, exhaling loudly. Erika noticed the dark lines under Maho's eyes, and how pale her face was.

"Commander, are you ok?" She immediately rushed over to Maho's side. "I'm fine. I just overworked, that's all." Maho pushed Erika away. Erika however persisted. "Commander, you need to rest!" She exclaimed. "You also need to eat more and take time off."

"But who will work for me?" Maho asked. Erika sighed. "Just take some days off. It's what you need."

Maho groaned. "Okay fine. I found a nice cafe a few blocks away. Why don't you join me there in about a week or so?" She suggested. Erika beamed. "Yes, commander!"

 **Ooarai High School, 11:26 A.M.**

The three girls of the student council watched as dozens of trucks back up into the garage. The backdoors of the trucks swung open and men wearing plain blue uniforms rushed over and carried the enormous crates out of the back. The student council stared at the nearly one hundred wooden crates that piled up across the garage.

"There we go, president. That's all of them." An old man walked over to Anzu. "I hope you have storage space for all of these." He whistled at the amount of crates. Anzu shrugged. "No, we have too much empty space. I hope I can fill it all up." She replied. The old man smiled faintly. "But this costs a lot of money, you know. Do you even have the funds to pay for this?" He asked quizzically.

"I have my ways, right Koyama?" Anzu winked at Yuzu, who nodded in response. The old man sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay. Just don't let these all of these get covered in dust."

Anzu waved her hand in annoyance. "Okay, okay, don't worry about it." She said. The old man crossed his arms. "You know, you bought a lot of different guns. You also bought new tanks too. You're wasting a fortune if these don't see the light of day."

"Just how many guns did you buy?" Momo asked suspiciously. "You said a few, but just how much exactly?"

"Hm, the Mendoza C-1934 LMG, SIG MKMO, Solothurn S-18/1000, K31, LMG25, SIG Neuhausen KE7, Labora Fontbernat M-1938, Obregón pistol, Ballister-Molina, Halcón M-1943, Lehnar submachine gun, Lettet–Forsøgs submachine gun, Weibel M/1932, The Madsen MG, MG30, and MG29." Anzu quickly replied.

"What!" Momo's jaw dropped, and Yuzu's eyes widened. "What is wrong with you! Don't you understand the concept of standardized weapons? Do you know how many different types of ammunition we'll have to buy and produce? That is too many different parts we'll have to deal with." She threw the files she carried onto the floor. Anzu forced out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, I like how they look, I couldn't help it."

Momo groaned. "Please, make up your mind about which guns to use." She told her. Anzu grinned. "Don't worry about it. I'll do something about it."

"Uh, you also ordered new tanks and aircraft as well, right?" Yuzu inquired. "Eh?" Momo turned her head from Yuzu to Anzu. "President…" She narrowed her eyes at Anzu, who chuckled with a light smile. "Oh boy…" She muttered softly.

An hour later they left the garage and through a large courtyard, where they were met by a throng of girls.

"President!" They screamed as they surrounded the three girls in an ocean of students. "Hey! What's up guys!" Anzu cheerfully waved her hand as she marched forwards, the students parted like the Red Sea. "Momma Anzu!" Somebody shouted. The others picked it up, and within minutes the courtyard was echoing with the chants of "Momma Anzu!"

"President sure is popular." Momo said. "Yeah, though I don't think President is the mother." Yuzu added. Momo stared at her. "What do you mean?" She asked. Yuzu giggled. "Well, I think she's the child, and we're the parents." She exclaimed. "So, do you want the mother-role or the father-role?" She leaned onto Momo, who backed away with a panicked face. "Don't say things like that!" She shouted.

"You two." Momo and Yuzu saw Anzu beckon them with her hand. They jogged over to the president. "We should get going." She said as several hands were caressing her face and hair. "They're treating me like a little child." She remarked. The trio walked out of the courtyard, still followed by a horde of girls, where a Porsche was waiting for them. Anzu waved at the crowd as she got in the car, flanked by Yuzu and Momo.

Anzu sighed in relief as the car drove off, leaving a trail of smoke as the mass of students disappeared. "Popularity has its flaws." She mumbled.

Miho was walking alone down the block, slinging a blue and white bag over her shoulder. She looked around, and saw what she was looking for: a park. It was small and wooded, with several trails that snaked around the area.

She walked through the entrance of the park, a little black wooden sign surrounded by shrubbery. She walked past a little playground filled with little children. She smiled as the kids run around the jungle gym. She went down a large gravel path surrounded by large trees, with long benches sitting at the edge of the trail.

Miho glanced to her left and saw several girls sitting on a bench eating lunch together. One of them noticed Miho, and tapped the shoulders of her friends. They all stopped talking and began glaring at Miho. Miho quickly walked away, feeling the intense stares piercing her back.

She found an empty bench and sat down. She sighed as she sat down and took out a bento box and began eating. Why did those girls stare at her? Miho chewed glumly as she wondered if she did anything wrong. Maybe she looked like she hadn't taken care of herself. She had been overwhelmed with worry and been forgetful of everyday chores for the past few days. Her mind was filled with the thoughts of her sister, and the events that transpired in the last few days. She read the surprise invasion of Bonple by Kuromorimine in a paper earlier in the morning, and was thoroughly shocked by the news. She initially couldn't believe it, how Maho would initiate a war of conquest. _Is this the result of the strict Nishizumi style?_ She thought to herself. _What is she thinking?_

"Oneechan, what are you doing?" She muttered to herself. "I don't understand what you're trying to do."

She ate all of her rice balls, consumed by thought. _What was going to happen to her now? Is she going to conquer all of the school? Then what? The rest of Japan won't accept it without doing something about it._

"Why did you do this, oneechan?" She clutched the box. "Why are you doing this?" Tears formed at the edge of her eyes. "Why are you forcing everybody else to fight you? We were all so close back then." _We can't go back to those times anymore,_ she thought sadly. _We're all separated from each other, and you're only separating us farther apart._

"What are you trying to do?" She asked, raising her voice. "What's your objective? I don't understand!"

"What happened to you, oneechan? Are you even the sister I knew anymore?" Her head hung low, letting the teardrops fall into the empty bento box. "Did something happen?" She mumbled.

 _Something did happen. This isn't her fault._ A thought flashed her head. _It was the collapse that caused all of this. She doesn't want to do this._ She wiped off her tears and put the empty bento box in her bag. "I'm not blaming you for anything." She said out loud. "You're doing what you think is best, and even if everybody hates you for it, I'll still be there for you. Even if it's just in your thoughts or your heart, I'll be there…"

She stood up and began walking out of the park. She left the trail and was about to leave the park when she saw from the corner of her eye the same group of girls from before. Increasing her speed she tried to avoid their gaze by shuffling past them, but to no avail.

"Hey!" A voice called out. Nervous, Miho slowly turned her head. "Yes?" She replied slowly. The source of the voice was the girl in front of the group, most likely the leader. She had long, choppy brown hair, with several hair pins clamped to the right side of her head. "You're Nishizumi Miho, right?" She called out in a somewhat hostile tone. Miho nodded meekly.

The girl scowled. "What the hell do you think you're doing at our school?" She demanded. "What?" Miho was taken aback.

"Who do you think you are, just showing your face around like nothing ever happened?" The girl stepped closer, followed by her posse. "I don't understand what you're saying." Miho stammered out, growing scared of this big girl. The girl loomed over Miho. "Don't pretend like you don't know it. Your sister is Nishizumi Maho." She growled. "She's the tyrant of Kuromorimine. And she attacked Bonple. She's a damn fascist."

"But what does that have to do with me?" A now terrified Miho tried to step back, but the girl grabbed her by the collar. "You're her sister. So you both have the same, cold blood running through you. You two are just the _same_. The whole Nishizumi family is a tribe of emotionless animals." She snarled. "No, I-I-" Miho stuttered, but the girl threw her to the ground. Her body landed against the hard dirt, and the contents of her bag spilled out.

"You don't belong here, Nishizumi. Go back to Kuromorimine, back where you _belong._ " The girl kicked her stomach as she lay on the ground, and Miho body jerked backwards, making a sickening _thud_. "We don't want bloody warmongers in our school. You could be a spy for your sister for all we know. Anyways, you're not _one of us."_ Another hard kick landed in Miho's gut.

The girl smirked as she looked down at the twitching Miho. "That's right, you pathetic bitch. Stay down there, where you belong. Stop acting like you're an equal." With that, she spat on Miho and walked off, followed by her friends. They began throwing things at her limp body, including an empty soda can. She flinched as the objects hit her. Then she felt something hard against the back of her head, and a hot pain shot through her entire head. One of the girls had kicked a rock right at Miho's head. The girls walked away, giggling and cackling to themselves, leaving Miho alone on the ground.

Miho didn't move from the spot, unable to get up. A storm of tears rolled down her face and into the dirt. She was crying not only from the pain and humiliation, but from anger as well. She was angry at the despicable girls for treating her this way, angry at Maho for being the cause of this pain, but mostly at herself for not being able to fight back. She continued to chide herself as she lay on the ground, silently weeping and curling up into a little ball.

Four girls walked down the street, looking for a place to sit and eat. "Say, is there a park or somewhere like that around here?" Saori asked. "I wish Nishizumi-dono could join us…" Yukari whispered in a disappointed manner. "There is a small place for us to sit down." Hana said. "It's got trees and beautiful flowers."

"There better be a place for me to sleep." Mako grumbled. Hana looked at her. "You could sleep on the slides, if you like." She told Mako. Mako shrugged. "I'll pass."

"We should call Miporin when we get there." Saori said. Yukari nodded in agreement. "It's such a nice day to be out." She exclaimed.

They continued walking until they could see the entrance just over the corner. "There it is!" Saori shouted. They ran towards the park until they froze, seeing the person lying on the ground. Saori gasped when she recognized who it was. "Mi-Miporin?" She asked tentatively. The figure stirred, and the tear-stained face of Miho stared at them. "Saori-san, Yukari-san…" She slumped back down.

"Oh my god, what happened!" Saori shrieked as she bolted towards Miho. The others jogged behind as Saori knelt down. "Miporin, what happened?" She asked again. Miho looked up, and latched onto Saori's shirt. She began sobbing uncontrollably, to Saori's bewilderment. "There there, it's alright. Everything is okay now." She whispered, gently stroking the back of Miho's hair. She stopped when she felt a sticky liquid trickling down her nape. To her horror, she looked at her hand to see blood smeared on her fingers.

"Who did this, Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari, who saw the wound wailed in despair. Miho sniffled. "I don't know. But she said something about Maho." She answered, which Saori almost missed due to Miho's voice being so quiet.

"Whoever did this is the worst." Mako said. "How could somebody have done this?" Hana knelt down next to Miho. "Miho-san, we will get you fixed up, so don't worry." She told Miho, who nodded weakly. Yukari and Saori picked her up, and carried her out of the park.

 **Mount Asahi, Western Bonple, 1:46 P.M.**

"Get down, artillery!" Soldiers scrambled as dozens of explosions erupted around the mountain top. Girls rolled down the steep mountain side, while tankettes were flipped over onto their backs. Bofors 40mm auto cannons blasted away at the metal birds that dropped their deadly ordinances and fired their two 7.92mm MG17s at the soldiers entrenched on the mountain. Even when a Stuka went down in flames, another two would replace it. Entrenched Bonple soldiers fired at the Kuromorimine soldiers and Panzers that crawled up the mountain. Both sides launched artillery strikes against each other, covering the once green surface with a thick layer of brown dirt. Bonple gunners armed with Browning wz. 1928 light machine guns sprayed gunfire down on the Kuromorimine troops, who responded with model 24 grenades and MG34s.

"Shit!" Commander Oscypek slammed her fist against the table in the HQ tent. "We're stuck up here surrounded!" She shouted. She took out a pair of binoculars and looked down the mountain. From the lenses she could see the hundreds of tiny black dots slowly moving up the mountain, representing the advancing Kuromorimine soldiers and Panzers. Little puffs of white clouds blocked her vision. She ripped the binoculars away from her eyes, and cursed under her breath. "Don't let them advance any further. We'll have to hold them as long as possible. We can't win this battle, nor attain reinforcements. But we'll kill as many of them as possible." She ordered as she sat back down in her seat. "Fuck…" She muttered. "We're fucking dead. So fucking dead."

In the trenches dug across across the crest of the hill, the Bonple girls desperately fought off the Kuromorimine attack. Ckm wz. 25 Hotchkiss machine guns aimed down on the gray colored soldiers squirming across the ground. Riflewomen with Karabinek wz. 91/98/23s took potshots at any stahlhelm that peeked over the grass.

"We can't hold them off for much longer!" One soldier shouted, firing her Karabinek wz. 91/98/23. A single Kuromorimine soldier fell forwards, a bullet tearing through her chest. The soldier ducked down as bullets bit the dirt. She got back up and fired twice more before kneeling back down. Another soldier ran up to her, carrying a Mors submachine gun. "Private, we need more troops on the right flank." She shouted. The private gritted her teeth. "We're already tied up over here." She said. The submachine gunner groaned. "Dammit. What the hell are we supposed to do?" She exclaimed. She lowered her head just as a bullet whizzed by. "Shit, that was close." She muttered. She stood up and took aim at a pair of grenadiers inching closer with grenades. "Not on my watch." She grinned as she pulled the trigger. She watched with glee as a hail of bullets tore through the two soldiers, who fell down the mountain. "See, that's how you use this thing!" She exclaimed, waving the smg in the air like some sort of a banner.

She suddenly staggered down, moaning in pain. "Those bastards got me." She shouted. Blood poured out of her shoulder, where there was a large hole that clearly ripped through her muscle and clavicle. "Shit! Medic! Medic!" The private cried.

A medic came stumbling down the trench with basic medical supplies. "You think you can fix me with that?" The submachine gunner asked, her face completely pale. "Gotta take you to the rear." The medic replied sternly. She picked up the submachine gunner and sped back out of the trench. The private carefully peered over the trench.

She saw what looked like thousands of soldiers running up the hill. Hundreds of Panzers steamed up the hill, firing their cannons and machine guns. Even more Stukas were bearing down on the beleaguered defenders. And the artillery at the foot of the mountain rained death and destruction upon them. The private looked behind her, and saw the innumerable amount of dead scattered across the mountaintop.

 _We're screwed,_ she thought to herself. _I didn't want to die in some useless last-stand, but oh well._ She shrugged in defeat, completely at peace with the fact that she was most likely going to die. She aimed her rifle and fired. The rifle pushed against her shoulder blade, and the bullet found its mark in the breast of a short girl holding an MP38.

 _If I'm going to die, I might as well as take some enemies with me,_ she laughed at herself with that thought. _But I wonder if my family will even get the news of my death? Probably not. I doubt they would care either way. I was nothing more than just a burden to them. What better way to get rid of your problems than to have the military deal with it!_ She thought bitterly to herself. _And how does the army deal with their burdens? By having them fight to the death in a pointless battle, where we'll only become useful by becoming martyrs for the country! Even an idiot can become a hero if placed in the perfect situation._ Her smile turned into a scowl. _The damn school always trying to control our lives, even controlling our deaths for their benefit. Well, I'm not going to play by the rules. I'm not going to die today._ She silently promised. _I'll live, and laugh at the idiots who praise the pointless sacrifices of people braver than they._

She reloaded her rifle and scrunched up against the trench. The noises of battle were overwhelming. She could barely hear her own thoughts. _I wish they would quiet down._

Her eyes widened as she saw the nose of a Stuka diving right towards her. She rolled into a ball and hoped for the best. The Stuka, with an earsplitting wail fired its machine gun, raking the trenchline with bullets. The private stared as the bullet impacts threw little clumps of dirt into the air. The struck down dozens of soldiers, tearing through their helmets and flesh. The trench became a river of blood, filled with countless bodies.

The Stuka flew away, chased away by a Bofors. The private stood up, hyperventilating and began firing down at the attackers.

"I sure wish we had more cover." The oberfeldwebel(Master sergeant) moaned, clutching her MP38 as she crawled at a steep angle, only stopping to fire a couple rounds at the enemy above them.

"Shut up!" A hauptmann(captain) ordered from above, firing her MP35 smg from a prone position. "Stop complaining! We have the advantage here!" The rocky terrain wasn't even that bad of providing cover. And with the occasional patch of trees they were in a good spot.

The hauptmann yanked the horizontal magazine out of her smg and pushed in a new one before jumping over onto a steep rock.

She was immediately under fire from several sides, and got on her stomach. She aimed her MP35 at the first girl she could find and pulled the trigger. The flurry of bullets hit the girl like a hailstorm. She crumpled down in the trench, her blood seeping into the ground.

The hauptmann smirked as she advanced, squeezing the trigger every few seconds, taking down an enemy soldier each time. She ducked her head as a machine gun fired her way, the rocks making a crackling sound as the bullets hit them behind the hauptmann.

A soldier armed with a K98 scrambled up next to the hauptmann, firing at the enemy positions. However, she jerked backwards when a bullet ripped through her neck, dark blood spurting out like a fountain as she fell. The hauptmann watched as the body twitched for a few more moments. The hauptmann raised her smg and fired back in the direction from where the bullet came from.

 _Jesus, I don't know why the Luftwaffe and artillery just destroy this entire place. Why do we have to knock every little mountain down?_ She thought angrily, but she calmed herself down. _We're just the cleanup crew here. The frontlines need the air support more._

She gripped her MP35 and creeped along the edge of the ridge of the first Bonple trench. She looked down and saw a soldier crouching right below her, clutching a Karabinek wz. 91/98/23 like it was a baby. The two soldiers stared at each other for a minute, before acting. The soldier swiftly got up and swung her rifle towards the hauptmann, but the hauptmann jumped back. She Slammed the butt of the MP35 into the helmet of the soldier, who staggered backwards. The hauptmann leveled her smg and emptied her magazine, but the soldier stumbled back across the trench, and the bullets made their mark in the ground.

 _Holy shit, holy shit!_ The private screamed in her head as the Kuromorimine soldier blasted away at the ground before her. She stood back up and fired blindly, missing the soldier by a longshot. The private looked in shock as the soldier jumped in the trench and swung her smg once more. The private ducked her head as the smg passed above her. She lunged forward and thrusted her rifle out. The barrel of the rifle slammed into the soldier's gut. She collapsed down on the ground, and the private bashed the stock of her rifle against the her stomach. The private grinned as she raised the rifle above the soldier's head. _Got you!_

The hauptmann looked at the soldier towering over her, the wooden rifle butt descending upon her vision. She rolled out of the way and with a swift movement of her hand to her hip; she procured out a Sauer 38H semi-automatic pistol and fired twice at the Bonple soldier's direction. One bullet grazed the cheek of the soldier, who winced as she twisted her neck. A thin red line appeared on the girl's cheek, and blood began trickling down her face. She grimaced as she bashed the rifle against the hard ground, but she was too late; the hauptmann had escaped. She got back up and aimed the pistol at the soldier's head.

Before she could pull the trigger, she flinched as she felt a lock of hair fall across her shoulder and felt the blood ooze down the side of her head. She narrowed her eyes at the Bonple soldier who held a Nagant wz. 30 revolver in her hands, smoke dissipating away from the barrel. "You little…" The hauptmann grunted. She stepped forward and fired again. There was a loud _pop,_ and blood gushed out of the soldier's side. The soldier began to chuckle at the hauptmann, who took a step back in surprise. "What the…" She scowled, and fired twice.

Two bullet holes appeared in the private's chest. She staggered down to her knees, coughing out blood. Despite this, her laughing increased. "What is wrong with you?" The Kuromorimine soldier demanded, shaking with confusion. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The private continued to laugh, her chest burning with pain. "I don't know!" She choked out. "I don't fucking know!"

The hauptmann stared at the hysterical girl. Hyperventilating, her finger twitched around the trigger, before pulling it back with a _bang._ The soldier in front of her collapsed onto the ground.

The hauptmann sighed out a breath of relief. Her solace was immediately broken by a tight grip on her ankle. To her horror, the soldier had grabbed her with her left hand, looking up at the hauptmann with hollow eyes. "That...won't...kill...me…." She uttered with a grin, blood dripping out of her mouth.

The hauptmann yelped in fear and recoiled back, unhesitantly pulling the trigger. The soldier's head shuddered as a red bullet hole formed on her forehead. She slumped forward, letting more blood pour out of her. The hauptmann continued firing at the corpse, each shot causing the body to jerk around. The gun clicked as the final body left the barrel. The hauptmann slid down onto her knees, dropping her pistol. She cradled her head with her hands, her eyes wide with shock.

The oberfeldwebel fired her MP38 from the hip, managing to hit a Bonple riflewoman across her body. She ducked down as the Bonple defenders returned fire.

"Fräulein, please don't be reckless!" One of the other soldiers, armed with a K98 screamed at her. The oberfeldwebel waved her hand. "It's fine!" She said. "We have to be reckless to push these stubborn bastards out of here." She took out a grenade from her belt and chucked it towards the enemy. She watched the shower of pebbles of dirt, and emptied her magazine into the cloud of dust.

However, she jumped back into cover when orange tracers cut through the grey smoke. "Shit, machine gun!" She shouted. She panted as the tracers flew by her harmlessly into the open air. "Jesus." She muttered, while the other soldiers stared at her.

She looked over and saw through the clearing smoke the silhouette of a small rectangular shape just 1.23 metres tall sitting in the open.

"Is that a-" She ducked down as the thing fired its machine gun, with a loud _tok-tok-tok_ towards the Kuromorimine troops.

"That's a TKS tankette!" The oberfeldwebel exclaimed. "Where is our armor support?" She demanded. "Probably fighting at the more tougher defenses." One of the soldiers replied. The oberfeldwebel groaned. "Fine, but what about air support?"

"They have to refuel and rearm." The soldier answered. "Fine, whatever." The oberfeldwebel grumbled under her breath. "Then we have to deal with that little thing ourselves."

The tankette continued to fire its Hotchkiss wz. 30 7.92mm mg towards the hunkered up attackers. "I don't think regular guns can penetrate its armor. We need an anti tank rifle." The oberfeldwebel remarked.

"Got one right here, oberfeldwebel." A large girl holding a long rifle. _Huh, a Panzerbüsche 38, what a lucky coincidence,_ the oberfeldwebel thought to herself. "I have an idea. I need two rifles." She ordered, and two soldiers with K98s stepped forward. "I need you to go over to the right and distract the little metal box. PzB 38 over here will take it out by hitting it on the side. Got it?" She explained, the rest of the group nodding their heads.

The two infantrywomen dashed to the right flank of the tankette and began opening fire. The bullets _pinged_ off the armor, and the TKS turned to face the two girls. The machine gun blared away as the two girls scrambled to cover.

With its flank exposed, the tankette failed to realize the anti tank rifle slowly setting her sights on the side armor. The anti tank rifle fired, and the gun lurched backwards against the gunner's shoulder. The tankette made a loud _gong_ as the round penetrated the light armor and killed the two crewmembers inside. The gunner yanked the bolt back, and from the breech a huge cartridge came flying out.

"Alright! Let's advance!" The oberfeldwebel called out. The twenty or so girls got up and ran out of their cover and out in the open.

At the bottom of the mountain, surrounded by a dense forest, there was a flurry of activity. In the center was a . 251/6 command halftrack, where a tall girl with short dark hair looked at a map of mount Asahi. Kitayama, or more known by the annoying nickname "Ritaiko-chan", sat as radio transmissions from the battle told her the situation up above.

" _The enemy right flank is weakening. They're trying to pull back to more consolidated positions."_

Kitayama sighed as she looked at the map. The right side of the mountain was a steep ridge. "Have the 8th and 12th regiments deal with them. Tell the 5th and 13th Panzer companies to assist them as well." She ordered. Several staff officers relayed the order up to the troops. Kitayama pointed at the center of the mountain. "Their positions in the middle is the most vulnerable. When the Stukas are ready I want them to concentrate on the central point. The 5th regiment and 9th Panzer company to spearhead the assault. Keep the defenders on the left flank from reinforcing the center or right flank."

She leaned back in her chair. Initially, when Koume had asked her to clean up this little mess, she was a little more than frustrated. But now she smiled, for even an easy victory is still a victory.

The Panzer II arched forward as it climbed over a large rock. "Damn." The commander mumbled. "Why do we have to fight in such uneven terrain?" She sat in her seat in the cramped turret. She opened up the hatch and looked out into the hot, humid summer air. The noises of combat overwhelmed her ears, and the dust and smoke pillars covered the mountain. Groaning, she slunk back into the dark interior. "I wish they put in a fan in here." She mumbled.

The Panzer II suddenly made several loud _pinging_ noises, and the commander jolted in shock. "What the hell was that?" She shouted into the voice tube, which connected into the driver's position. "A, an enemy tankette!" She answered. The commander cursed. "I guess I actually have to do something today…" She grumbled as she turned the turret to face this nuisance. A small TK3 tankette stood in front of her, firing its machine guns while retreating back. The commander smirked as she fired the cannon; the tankette caught fire, and exploded.

The commander leaned back. "Phew. That's done and over with. Time to support the infantry." She muttered.

The Panzer II advanced, followed by three more Panzer IIs and five Panzer Is towards the trench lines. They raked down the stunned Bonple troops, who scrambled to find an answer to the armored push. hundreds of feldgrau girls followed the Panzers, clearing the bunkers and foxhole with submachine gun fire.

The Bonple soldiers began falling back, running back to their final defenses. Nearly a dozen TKS and TK3 tankettes attempted to stop them, but they were quickly destroyed by the Panzers.

The hauptmann sped through the abandoned Bonple positions. Bloody corpses filled the trenches. The hauptmann aimed her MP35 at the back of a sprinting Bonple soldier. After a pull of a trigger, the soldier collapsed to the ground. The hauptmann lowered her smg and jumped out of the trench.

"Defend this line! Not one step back!" Bigos roared, blasting her Mors smg at the final determined attack by Kuromorimine. Several dozen troops huddled together, firing their Karabinek wz. 1929 rifles, Karabinek wz. 91/98/23, and Kb wz. 98a rifles at the attackers. But one by one, they fell as blood poured out of their bodies.

Bigos unlatched a wz. 33 defensive grenade and tossed it over the wall. She heard the ensuing explosion, and raised her Mors smg as she fired at the enemy troops. She recoiled as bullets slammed themselves against the brick wall. "Shit…" She muttered, reloading her gun. She scowled as she saw the enemy move closer. She stepped back as a Kuromorimine soldier walked into her sights. Half a dozen bullets found their mark in the girl's body, and she fell down like a puppet without its master.

Bigos looked around and saw most of her friends have been killed. Blood flowed out of the holes of the punctured bodies, and their eyes stared blankly at her. She dropped her smg in fear and started breathing heavily. All around her were dead soldiers. Shot to ribbons, torn apart by grenades, she was the last one standing.

 _Not one step back!_ Her own order repeated in her mind. She grimaced and picked back up her smg. She stepped out of her cover and with a loud yell spraying the surprised attackers with her smg, waving it around like a gangster. Within seconds twenty rifles and smgs aimed their sights at her, and in a crescendo of thunder gunned her down in a grand execution.

Oscypek heard the gunfire and explosions grow closer, while the screams of pain and fear resonated around her. She sighed. _It's over. It's finally over_ , she thought. The roar of treads a engines told her of her imminent end; the sounds of war was replaced by the noise of grass being stomped on by boots. The clicking of reloading guns surrounded the command tent.

"Surrender. The battle has finished. The last soldiers have given themselves up, and as their commander, you should follow them." A commanding voice shouted from outside. "Surrender, and we shall treat you as an honorable warrioress. There is no shame in surrendering."

Oscypek chuckled to herself, then began laughing out loud. The voice outside was understandably perplexed. "What is funny?" She demanded. Oscypek continued to laugh. "Whay is so damn funny?" The voice demanded angrily.

Oscypek continued to laugh as she unholstered a FB Vis pistol from her hip. She placed the barrel against her temple, and pulled down the hammer.

The hauptmann, and everybody else listened in surprise to the one last gunshot that echoed throughout the silent mountains.

 **Saunders High School, 5:26 P.M.**

Kay sat at her desk, grumbling to herself. There were several blank papers lying on the desk, while there were many crumpled up papers rolling on the floor.

"God dammit!" She shouted, slamming both her fists against the table. The pencils and erasers _clattered_ onto the floor.

"What is it, commander?" Alisa walked into the room. "I can't think of a good speech!" Key groaned. "It's much harder than I thought."

"Where is your usual enthusiasm?" Alisa took one of the papers and scanned it with her eyes. She put it down with a sigh. "Look, I think you have a good start. You just have to elaborate more on the subject. And you have to exaggerate things too."

"But that's not-" Key started but was interrupted by Alisa. "Campaign promises aren't made to be kept. You just have to tell the people what they want to hear." Alisa glanced over and saw Key was about to protest. "But, if you really want to, write down what you believe in. Just make sure it sounds good."

"Hey, have you heard the news?" The girl with the helmet closed the door behind her. "About Kuromorimine and Bonple and what not?"

"Oh, May. Of course we have. We have more important things to do right now." Alisa replied with an irritated voice.

"Why don't you include that in your speech?" May suggested. "What?" Key shot up from her seat. May strolled over. "Well, why don't you address the problem in United Front and Bonple?" She said. Key thought for a minute. "Maybe." She finally answered.

 **Tsūtenkaku, Osaka, United Front, 7:28 P.M.**

A lone girl looked out the observation deck, towards the south where all the fighting was taking place. She could see all the black pillars of smoke reaching for the heavens all over the city, and the flashes of gunfire that was prevalent throughout the week.

She was fairly short, and her small eyes saw the entire scene before her. Her long, flowing hair reached her lower back, and it was cut in a perfect line across her forehead. She was wearing a dark green military dress, with several large medals covering her undeveloped chest. She almost had the appearance of a little girl, had it not been for the aura of maturity flowing around her. The mind behind the powerful gaze was complicated and intricate; nobody knows what she was thinking. Her mouth wielded enormous power, and her very presence was an authority of no other. She was a woman filled with conviction, confident of her ability to accurately calculate positive results.

That was why Zhejiang had decided to send her to defend Osaka from Chi-ha-Tan. With overwhelming troops, a defensive urban environment and a tactical genius they could not lose! That was the idea that gripped Zhejiang and the others.

But as the girl stared down, her confidence in herself began to waver. This situation was not a good one; though her troops did certainly outnumber the enemy, they were not equipped to deal with a modern foe. With their armored forces lacking in all things considered and air force virtually nonexistent, the situation was impossible for anybody, even for her. And it especially made things harder as she was a fan, an admirer of Chi-ha-Tan. She visited Chi-ha-Tan before, and was impressed by their military parades. She had argued against provoking them, but now here she was fighting against her very admiration.

She furrowed her brow as there was an explosion at the east side of the city. She heard the low roar, and the red mushroom cloud billow up. Sighing, she walked over to a chair and sat down.

"Lady Mengjiang!" A girl saluted as she entered the observation deck. "What?" Mengjiang answered in a bored tone. The girl gulped for air. "The 14th division have been wiped out defending Matsubara." She reported. "Our forces are crumbling and are falling back into the city itself."

"Is that it then? You may leave." Mengjiang said. The girl nodded and ran off down the stairs.

Mengjiang turned to face the descending sun. It was her job to protect the city, but how many people will die to keep it from falling? How many people will die fighting Chi-ha-Tan? She shook her head as the thought entered her mind. _I must defend the city, to protect our school. They are invaders. But will we all lose our lives against this foe?_

She slumped down onto the table in front of her, her resolve and conviction all but gone.

 **Bonple High School, 9:14 P.M.**

Jajka sat alone in her room, wearing a bathrobe and pouring a glass of red wine.

There was a knock at the door, and Jajka's lieutenant, Uszka walked in.

"Grandmaster, now is not the time to be idling." She told Jajka sternly. Jajka frowned. "What am I supposed to do at this hour?" She asked, waving the wine glass. "How am I supposed to turn things around when I let my school be attacked?"

"Well for one thing, you could be taking command. And we will be able to field the Armia Yonezawa, our best equipped army in a few days." Uszka said. "And fortunately most of our eastern airfields were not hit, so we will be able to contest their air supremacy by tomorrow."

Jajka's grim expression lit up into a large smile. "Once we reorganize ourselves, we will push out the invaders and invade Kuromorimine along with St. Gloriana, Maginot, Gregor and BC Freedom." She enthusiastically added.

A male officer stepped in the room. "Grandmaster Jajka-" Jajka pulled herself over to him. "You seem nice." She said. "Why don't you join me for a drink?" The officer gave a questioning glance towards Uszka, before slowly nodding his head.

Jajka looked at Uszka. Her eyes displayed the same question. Uszka shook her head. "No thanks. I'm good." She politely turned down the offer.

Uszka left the room, and the door shut behind her. From the other side she could hear giggles and squeals of delight. She rubbed her eyes and groaned when she heard the springs of the bed and loud moans from inside.

 _Grandmaster Jajka, what are you doing?_ Uszka thought to herself as she walked down the hall.

* * *

 **Well, it finally started. It took six chapters, but the Great War had begun. How will Darjeeling and co. fight Maho? Will Maho lead her school to victory or destruction? And what will happen to Ooarai? Tune in next chapter for more action!**


	7. Then the Winged Hussars Arrived

**Chapter Seven: Then the Winged Hussars Arrived**

* * *

 **On August 8th A.C. 1, at approximately 8:19 A.M. The 'Maternal Alliance' led by Darjeeling of St. Gloriana declared war on Kuromorimine for their surprise invasion of Bonple. Everybody thought this would be a swift war.**

 **Oh how very wrong they were.**

* * *

 **Capital City of Nagano, BC Freedom High School, 8:30 A.M.**

"War is declared against Kuromorimine! Come get the exclusive paper now!" Street vendors called out to curious passerbys.

"Hm, this will be an easy job." One man remarked. "I almost feel bad for them Kuromorimine folks." An old man laughed. "I bet we'll beat them in three weeks." A well shaven man exclaimed.

Assam and Moules watched them gossip among themselves.

"How do you feel about it?" Assam asked with a smirk. "We're finally going to go kill some people."

"Don't say it like that." Moules drily replied. "We're going to do our job."

A girl in a green uniform stood in front of a propaganda poster waved a megaphone.

"Join today! Join the army and fight in the greatest campaign of the century!" She exclaimed. A crowd of girls surrounded the speaker, eager to become a part of the crusade against Kuromorimine.

"They're so eager." Moules said as the two girls turned and walked down the street. "Maybe they think they won't actually be sent to the front." Assam looked at the road and saw a Renault R35, covered with joyous soldiers with rifles and flags driving down the street, throwing leaflets to the civilians on the sidewalk.

"It's not going to be a cakewalk as they claim." Moules watched with disapproval. "Maho must certainly have deduced this would happen beforehand. She has something up her sleeve." She muttered.

"Are you sure? They have most of their forces in the east. I doubt they would have a strong presence on our borders." Assam said. "And how would she even fight a two-front war?"

"I have no idea, to be honest." Moules signed in resignation. "I just have a feeling something will go terribly wrong. Things will not turn out the way we would expect, or how we would like." She muttered.

 **St. Gloriana High School, 8:30 A.M.**

Darjeeling stood at the helm of a podium, overlooking thousands of students, civilians and soldiers grouped into a tight mass.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Darjeeling shouted. "Kuromorimine has broken the promises we have all vowed to keep a year ago! They have lied and deceived the rest of Japan! Now they have attacked a fellow school, after blatantly expressing their wishes for aggressive expansion!" The crowd held their breath as Darjeeling stopped for dramatic effect.

"Yet they still play the victim! They claim we have forced their hand. I say to that: No! They have forced us to exert our strength upon them! We could have been neighbors, friends and allies. But no, their refusal to conduct themselves in a negotiable manner had called the hand of justice to punish them! We shall punish them for the crimes they have committed!" She hollered, and the crowd blew up with a roar of jubilation. Darjeeling raised her hand, and everybody went silent.

"And there are ones who support the treacherous Kuromorimine. I warn them now: Halt your actions. You are aligning yourself with criminals. Separate yourself from them, or suffer the same consequence! I do not want an unnecessary war with anybody else." She continued with a calm tone, a change from the previous statements.

"This is a war of justice and freedom. This is for our allies in Bonple, and whoever else is in need of aid. We will destroy the evil that has thrown away their civility and respect. We will bring back the order that has been so carelessly thrown aside by the cowards. We will punish those responsible with the sentences they deserve. We will show them liberty shall prevail!" She ended the last phrase with a raised fist.

The crowd went wild. Cheering and whistling, they expressed their joy, welcoming the declaration of war. They shrieked with delight as Darjeeling waved and left the podium.

"Jesus!" She exclaimed, stumbling down into a room behind the podium. Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri rushed over with some tea. "Thank you." Darjeeling mumbled.

 _Clap clap clap_ "Extraordinary! Just marvelous!" William walked over clapping his hands together. "Wonderful speech!"

"Thank you." Darjeeling smiled. "I didn't think the people would accept it like that…" Sweat poured down her face and she groaned loudly. "Sometimes this job is too much." She proclaimed. Orange Pekoe chuckled. "Nobody else can manage like you." She said.

Rukuriri nodded. "You have the most experience among us already. You are perfect for this role."

"You are the most elegant and graceful." William pitched in as well.

Darjeeling blushed. "If William says so…" She mumbled. "Glad to hear it." William smiled as Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri stared at him.

 **Southern Bonple, around 9:00 A.M.**

A large formation of cavalry, more than 3,000 girls and horses, trotted through the yellow cornfield. Though they were a relic of the past, they could be a potent danger to any unsuspecting victim. Their mission was to disrupt the Kuromorimine forces long enough to allow the main army to retreat to more defensible positions. They raced towards the unaware Kuromorimine field encampment, where thousands troops were eating breakfast by their posts or by their campfires, their weapons and vehicles strewn to the side. The encampment was protected by barbed wire and a trench filled with machine guns and mortars. Mines were placed in front of the barbed wire to protect the camp from a surprise attack.

The captain of the Bonple cavalry was a girl with swirly, golden hair. Captain Napoleonka was a senior and the champion of the cavalry, a prodigy of her time. She was so good, in fact she was hailed as the best rider of not only of Japan, but the entirety of Asia. She was even supposed to join the show jumping team for the Olympics, but the Collapse changed all that. Now her expertise was used to train the cavalry force of Bonple.

Sweat trickled down her face, and she gulped down her nervousness. Her shaking gloved-hands gripped the reins. The saddle bounced up and down, while her black boots was firmly in the stirrups. She adjusted her hat, and her sword swung from her hip. Her gaze was kept forward, and listened to the thunderous hooves of horses pounding the earth. Overwhelmed by anger and sadness, she bit her lip, knowing that this mission was most likely her last. All she wanted to do was to train and live with horses her whole life. Her future was set in stone; but that was all taken away from her. And now the school took advantage of her mastery of horse riding to train girls and horses in the art of war. Her love of horses wasn't supposed to end up like this.

She looked down at her brown stallion, and stroked his mane. "I don't know what to think anymore." She whispered. But she swallowed down her fear and calmed down. _I have to do this. It's my job._ Her eyes narrowed as they neared their objective. _I have to protect my school from the invasion._ She patted the stallion's head. "You're a good boy, Casimir. Just a little bit farther and it'll be all over." She murmured.

"Captain Napoleonka!" Her subordinate said. Napoleonka glanced back and nodded. "Hundred meters until the enemy positions!" She shouted. She unsheathed her Szabla wz. 34 saber and raised it in the air. The sunlight glinted off the metal sword. "Ready your weapons!" She ordered. The other cavalry riders unsheathed their swords, unholstered their pistols, carbines, rifles, even lances and axes were present. They began to canter through the field, gaining speed every time they took a step closer.

They were almost at the edge of the cornfield, and Napoleonka's entire body tensed up. She swept her hand through Casimir's mane one last time. "It's almost time." She told him. "All right, charge!" She shouted.

The thousands of horses turned into a fast gallop and broke through the field. They emerged out of the cornfield like a tidal wave, hollering and brandishing their weapons. The Kuromorimine troops looked up from their meals in shock to see the cavalry rolling towards them.

They quickly set up their Machine guns and mortars, raining down a torrent of shells and bullets toward the charging cavalry. The wall of steel and gunpowder collided into the cavalry, cutting down horses and girls by the hundreds. Both humans and animals crashed down to the ground, filled with bullet holes. Explosions rocked the charge, throwing riders into the air. Horses stopped moving, before falling down onto the ground. Riders were thrown off their steeds, only to be crushed by horses behind them. Horses tripped over dead corpses and fell to the ground, struggling to get back up. One horse flipped onto its back, its stomach riddled with shrapnel. Mortar shells plunged themselves into the ranks of the cavalry, creating huge gaps in the formation.

But this did not stop the charge. Even the minefield failed to stop the charge; though it threw chunks of horse flesh and blood across the field.

Though hundreds of riders have already died, more appeared from the fields, only to be killed by the epic barrage. The wave of horses crept closer to the trench, finally breaking through the minefield and reaching the barbed wire. All around the field, dismounted soldiers executed their critical wounded mounts by shooting them in the head with their sidearms. The once green field of grass was now a sea of red, blood seeping into every square feet of ground.

Napoleonka galloped through the corpse-filled field, jumping over bodies and across the minefield. She covered her face as dust clouded her vision. Her hearing was covered by the roaring of the mines and mortars, as well as _popping_ of rifles and machine guns firing coming from the trenchline. Her friends were killed beside her, blood splattering against her face. She wiped her face with her hand, turning her white glove dark red. Bullets zipped by her, grazing the side of her hat. She saw the barbed wire loom closer, their pointy teeth no doubt cause tremendous pain to any living thing it touched.

"Alright Casimir, jump like you've never jumped before." Napoleonka told her stallion, who snorted as if in response.

The first wave of cavalry met the barbed wire; the riders failed to leap over the wire, and had gotten tangled. The horses neighed in panic as they squirmed around in the wire, allowing the barbs to dig deeper into their skin. Riders shrieked when they felt their steed buckle forwards, throwing them face first into the wire. All this while the entrenched Kuromorimine troops poured lead into the charge. The horses and girls were helplessly entangled in the wire as they were gunned down by MG34s. Some barbed wire placements were completely covered with the corpses of soldiers and horses, allowing other riders to use them as stepping stones. Mortar shells landed among the barbed wire, throwing them up into the air. They landed on unfortunate riders that were beneath the falling wire.

Napoleonka tapped Casimir's sides with her stirrups, and he gracefully flew into the air, over the barbed wire. He landed with a dull _thud,_ a small cloud of dust coming from under his hoofs, and continued onwards.

The riders maneuvered around the maze of wires and finally was in reach of the trench. Defenders looked up in horror as the cavalry loomed above them, raising their sabers into the air. They slashed down, cutting through the defenders' chests and heads. Many of them slid down the trench, where they cut down many a Kuromorimine soldier. Some punched through bodies with lances under their arms. The defending infantry retaliated by shooting the horses in the trench, forcing the rider to collapse onto the ground, before firing point blank at them. Soldiers with bayonets stabbed the riders as they struggled to get their mounts out of the trench. Riders with pistols would shoot down any opposing enemy. Submachine gunners would stand above the trenches and pepper the cavalry below with dozens of bullets.

Mortar shells and grenades blew up both Bonple cavalry and Kuromorimine infantry, as ordinances do not differentiate between the two sides. Bodyparts of human and horse litter the trench, and the blood is now an Inch deep. The trench was filled with bodies riddled with bullets and bloody gashes.

Napoleonka spurred Casimir faster as she neared the trench. A Kuromorimine soldier aimed her K98 right at her. Casimir jumped over the trench, and to the bewilderment of the riflewoman, flew over her. As the soldier gaped at the horse above her, Napoleonka sliced down, cutting the soldier's face in half. She landed on the other side of the trench, landing on an unfortunate soldier.

Other cavalrywomen began jumping over the trench as well, firing down at the infantry below. Kuromorimine infantrywomen crumpled down as they were killed in their posts. The infantry jutted their bayonets and barrels in the air, firing and stabbing into the abdomens of the horses. They whinnied in pain, entrails and blood raining freely into the dirty trench. For the riders whose horses were killed in midair found themselves flying towards the earth, crashing down and breaking their bones, only to be killed by the Kuromorimine troops on the other side. Horses that managed to land on the other side began to create havoc in the encampment, slicing and trampling through tents. Soldiers scrambled out of the way as cavalry charged through the Kuromorimine garrison. The cavalry used carbines, pistols, axes and swords, whatever they had to kill the infantrywomen.

By now the trench was overrun; bodies of horses and soldiers stacked on top of each other, and the defenders were scrambling out of the trench, only to be sliced and gunned down from behind. Their bodies slid back into the trench to join the slowly rising floor of the dead. The cavalry now only had to walk across the trench, which was nothing more than a little dip.

The garrison reacted swiftly, setting up machine gun and field gun positions, gunning the cavalry down. The cavalry fell by the dozens as riflewomen and submachine gunners turned their sights toward them. The horses and girls staggered back, their heads and torsos ripped to pieces.

Napoleonka stabbed the chest of a Kuromorimine soldier and pulled out, throwing the body onto the ground. A soldier tried to take down Napoleonka down from behind, but with a swift kick from Casimir shoots the soldier into the sky. She lands on the ground, and a sick _crack_ could be heard from her skull. Napoleonka looks around and saw a machine gun team firing at a team firing at five horsewomen. They screamed as they were penetrated by hundreds of bullets, and collapsed to the ground. Napoleonka urged Casimir forward, who snorted and galloped towards the machine gun. Too late the machine gun team noticed Napoleonka and turned their gun towards her as she bore down on them.

They raised their barrel up at Napoleonka, but Casimir reared up, crushing bones and skulls with his hoofs. The other crewmembers tried to run, but Napoleonka swung her saber, and their napes cut open, light-red blood spraying out. She turned Casimir, and was met with bullets zipped past her. Girls aimed with their rifles at her, but Napoleonka sped away.

Several Kuromorimine girls dragged a field gun and began firing at a mass of a dozen horses. The explosion sprayed them with dust and shrapnel, killing one girl. The remaining cavalry wheeled around and galloped full speed towards the field gun. After quickly reloading, the gun fired again, landing in the midst of the advancing formation. Four horses buckled down, killed by the blast. The other seven girls fire their pistols at the crew, putting bullets into their chests.

A cavalrywoman stops her horse and aims her carbine at one Kuromorimine soldier with a MP38 smg. She staggered back as she took a shot, killing the soldier instantly.

Dismounted cavalrywomen got back up from the ground and picked up their weapons and fought the Kuromorimine infantry on an equal plane. One girl swung an ax into the face of a Kuromorimine officer, splitting her head in two. The brain matter flew out as the body fell to the ground. Picking up Kuromorimine weapons from fallen soldiers, they engaged in firefights, though they were usually on the losing side. Some retained their sabers and participated in duels with enemy soldiers who had picked up blood-soaked melee weapons.

The Kuromorimine troops were being slowly pushed back, and eventually started to run in a frenzied panic, throwing their weapons away. They ran through their encampment, chased by the empowered cavalry. "We can do this! After them!" One girl shouted, and the others whooped out a war yell as they ran down the routing infantry. Napoleonka joined them as she pulled on the reins of Casimir. _Maybe things are going well after all,_ she thought. They ripped through tents as they trampled down their enemies in a final charge.

The infantry were seemingly aiming for the forest just beyond the edge of the encampment. The cavalry spurred their steeds to annihilate the now broken foe.

Gunfire erupted from the forest, cutting hundreds of cavalry down. From the trees appeared Panzer Is, Panzer IIs and Kfz 13 armored cars. The cavalry charge halted as a storm of machine gun and autocannon fire tore through the ranks of the cavalry. The cavalry panicked as the screams of horses and girls echoed throughout the entire encampment. Some threw grenades, but they exploded harmlessly away from the Panzers.

Napoleonka wasn't able to process what had just happened when she felt her entire body jerk around, and a terrible pain coursed through her torso. She looked down and realized blood was pouring out of her, her uniform turning red.

There was a horrible neigh, and she landed onto the blood-soaked grass. She was face-up so she could see the sky. She craned her neck to the left, which caused immense pain for her. She saw Casimir next to her, laying on his side. His enormous face looked straight at her. Blood was streaming down his entire body. He neighed softly as Napoleonka caressed his snout, cringing in pain every time she did so.

"It's alright. Everything is fine now. The pain will go away soon." She muttered, tears flowing down her face. Large tears welled up in Casimir's eyes as well, as if in response to his owner's pain. He whinnied, and Napoleonka smiled. "Shhh. I'll be with you, so don't worry." She muttered. She coughed, and spat out blood. "You've done an amazing job. You were the best horse I've ever had the joy to handle." She nuzzled her nose against his. "I-" She stopped as her stallion whinnied one last time before going silent. His big glassy eyes stared blankly at her.

Napoleonka let the tears roll out, as a Kuromorimine officer stepped up to her and put a bullet in her brain.

"Retreat!" The frightened girls took that order to heart, made a U-turn and galloped away as quickly as they could, all the while being mowed down from behind. Horses and riders fell down as their bones and muscle were shredded apart. The infantry regained their composure and fired at the backs of the cavalry, killing even more.

The retreating cavalry diminished as they jumped over destroyed tents and bloody corpses back to their home. By the time they reached the cornfields, only a few dozen cavalry remained. The rest were either dead or dying on the field, laying over the trenches and torn to bits from the field guns.

The Kuromorimine troops began cleaning up the mess, picking up hundreds of the bodies of their comrades to be buried, while tossing the corpses of the Bonple riders into mass ditches, with Napoleonka among them.

 **Kuromorimine High School 10:42 A.M.**

Maho sat alone in her study, reclining back in a chair. She took out her phone and dialed a number. She put the phone up to her ear as it rang.

" _Maho._ " It was Géza on the other side. " _It's quite early._ "

"Is it?" Maho questioned. "Anyways, we need to talk."

" _About this morning_?"

"Yes. I'm the only one that they've gone to war with."

" _Not the entire-_ " Géza tried to ask, but was interrupted.

"No, just me. And everything is going smoothly." Maho chuckled.

" _What?_ " Géza's puzzled tone made Maho smile.

"I want you to hold off for a few days. Anchovy told me she will act by tomorrow. And Nishi is busy with United Front."

" _Why me? And what about Anzio?_ "

"To put them in a false sense of security. And in Anzio's case to force Kebab to attack them. Even if Anzio does go to war, but takes a defensive posture, Kebab will be forced to act. And that will prompt Gallipoli to join us. They will be their own downfall." Maho explained.

" _But what about Viking Fisheries?_ "

"What about them? We'll just land a naval invasion and fly some fallschirmjägers in or something." Maho cooly told her.

" _Sure, fine. But what do you want me to do_?"

"Wait until Gregor commits most of their military towards us, then you'll strike from the rear, forcing them to pull back. Then we'll push forward and we'll squeeze them until capitulation."

" _Alright. And if I send soldiers to Bonple, will we get to keep the territory we take?_ " Géza said after a minute of silence.

"We'll see about that." Maho replied.

" _Ugh, whatever. We'll need to talk more on this later, I have to do something right now._ " The phone hung up, leaving Maho quite satisfied.

 **Gregor High School, 11:25 A.M.**

Boleslava watched the column of troops march off to the border with Kuromorimine. Tanks and armored cars followed them in formation, while the onlooking crowd cheered them on. The officers marching through the streets looked up at Boleslava and saluted. Boleslava returned the salute.

This was going to be an easy war, there was no doubt about it. With most of their military in Bonple, Kuromorimine opened itself up to an attack by Maginot and BC Freedom from the south, and Gregor from the east. Maybe Bonple will launch a counterattack and push Kuromorimine out of their territory. And then they will all converge into Niigata and split the prefecture for themselves. It wasn't a bad plan to Boleslava. With the arms of Bonple, St. Gloriana, Maginot, BC Freedom, Gregor, Maple, Grona, Koala Forest and maybe Viking Fisheries and Kebab, their armies outnumber Kuromorimine at least three to one.

 _But maybe,_ Boleslava thought to herself. _Maybe they anticipated all this and prepared their own plans to counteract ours. We can't underestimate Maho too much, no matter how much we have the advantage._ _We need to beat them quickly._

She sighed as the army continued to march past her. _Anyways, we could mobilize most of our army, and within the week attack the Kuromorimine border._ "I better get a big share out of Kuromorimine." She muttered under her breath.

 **Ooarai High School 12:18 P.M.**

Miho and the rest of the girls walked down the cafeteria in the school. There was a large bandaid on the back of Miho's head.

"Are you alright, Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari asked. Miho nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She said.

"I'm going to find whoever was bullying you and give her the worst scolding in her life!" Saori shouted. Miho gently grabbed her shoulder. "It's fine. Really." She told Saori.

After they got their lunches they walked around to get a seat. As they looked for open spots, they listened to the conversations of the other students.

"Did you hear about what happened this morning?"

"Yeah. St. Gloriana went to war with Kuromorimine."

"What do you think will our school's going to do?"

"I hope we join the war, Kuromorimine is going to lose so badly."

"Yeah, they have no chance of winning."

"The war is going to be over in a matter of weeks I tell you! How would they win?"

"I can't actually believe Kuromorimine attacked Bonple!"

"They're actually killing people with tanks and other stuff."

"Wow, that's really scary."

"I know. Their leader in particular is scary."

"Nishizumi Maho?"

"Yeah, that's her. She's their military dictator. She literally controls everything."

"And now she's trying to get more power. What a greedy person."

"I know. She is horrible for attacking another school."

"When they lose, I hope St. Gloriana and the others execute Maho and her lot. They deserve nothing less!"

"Doesn't she have a sister that goes to this school?"

"Really? Oh my God, what if she's a spy for Kuromorimine!"

"Wait, I think that's her!" People point and whisper as Miho walks by.

"She looks really uncomfortable."

"Maybe she really is a spy, and is trying to keep it a secret from us?"

"Should we report her to the Public Morals Committee? If she is a spy that is breaking the law."

"Oh, that captain's going to go crazy."

"Good thing she only leads the Public Morals Committee, and doesn't have the presidency itself. God knows how she'll abuse it."

"Probably she's going to torture and execute the spy."

"Good riddance. I don't want any rat to be running around freely."

"Maybe she's heading a spy ring?"

"She sends information back to Kuromorimine using secret code only she and her sister knows!"

"People are so rude." Hana said. "I know! Talking about Miporin behind her back like that." Saori grumbled. "They misunderstand Nishizumi-dono so badly." Yukari muttered. "It's alright, Nishizumi-dono! We will always be with you no matter what!" She said to Miho, who was walking rather slowly. "Thank you." She said. "I found a spot!" She exclaimed, pointing to four empty spots by the edge of a table.

"Things are going badly for your sister, you know." Mako said bluntly. "I doubt Darjeeling will give her a second chance."

"Mako! Don't say things like that!" Saori scolded. Miho sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what she's thinking right now." She muttered. Saori slapped Mako on the head. "Look what you did!" She hissed, and Mako slunk down. Miho chuckled. "It's okay. This isn't the first time I felt like this. Besides, I believe that she knows what she's doing."

"It's those kinds of remarks that makes us think that you're not one of us." A voice called out. The four girls turned their heads and saw the girl from yesterday with her posse, standing in front of them with smug expressions on their faces.

"So I see you still like to think you belong here." The girl said, and Miho flinched.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you? Stop bullying her!" Saori stood up, facing the girl. The girl smirked. "I'm putting a rat in its place. Why are you defending an outsider?" She asked.

Saori flushed red with anger. "Don't you dare call her that! She is a part of this school!" She shouted.

"Bullshit! She still a part of the Nishizumi family. I know how strict the style and Kuromorimine is! And she was brought up there! She is different from the rest of us!" The girl exclaimed.

"Miporin left Kuromorimine because she didn't fit in! It wasn't her style!" Saori growled.

The girl grinned. "So she's a coward that ran away from her own kind."

"Stop using that kind of language!" Saori screamed, making the entire cafeteria turn silent and swiveled their heads to the argument.

"How dare you treat her like that! Miporin is the nicest girl you will ever meet! She is nice, respectful and is willing to help anybody! She even cares about scum like you!"

The girl laughed. "Me? Scum? Funny hearing that from you. You're just a little whore. You prostrate yourself to guys, but even they don't want to catch AIDS from a dog like you!" She shot back.

Saori's face turned a light purple as people sniggered behind her. "Why, you little bitch!" She took a step forward, but was pulled back by Yukari. "Please, let's keep it civil!" She shouted.

The girl leered. "Oh, I know about you, tank freak. I bet you like tanks so much you have wet dreams about them! You want to lose your virginity to a Tiger I bet."

Yukari took a step back at the insult. "I will not let you belittle Nishizumi-dono or anybody else!" She said.

"Oh, Nishizumi-dono? You call her Nishizumi-dono?" The girl chuckled. "Do you hear that guys? What are you, Nishizumi's slave or something?" The girl leaned in closer. "I know. You want Nishizumi to ride you like a tank, right? How about penetrating your front armor, huh? I bet you want that too! And don't forget about engine!" She cackled, and Yukari shuffled back with tears in her eyes.

"Hey, why don't you stop being such a bitch?" Mako stumbled forwards. "Seriously, don't you have anything better to do? How about sucking your dad's dick?"

The crowd gasped, and the girl looked surprised. She then smirked at Mako. "Damn, that's a good one. You look like a damn zombie. You seem like a lazy slob. Maybe that's why your parents left you!" She roared.

Mako froze and her eyes widened. Saori looked down at her shaking fists and realized Mako was now angry, something that rarely ever happens.

"Your such a waste of space that your grandma's going to die of a heart attack!" The girl continued.

"You-you-you fucking bitch!" Mako exploded. "How could you! My parents are dead!"

There was a loud audible gasp from the crowd. "And my grandmother is in the hospital right now!" She screamed.

A second, louder gasp came from the onlookers. A friend of the girl tapped her on the shoulder. "That was too far, Kana. Maybe you should apologize…"

But the girl waved her off. "How was I supposed to know? Maybe if she wasn't such a lazyass this wouldn't have happened!" She shouted.

Mako stepped forward, her gaze becoming more dark. "I'm going to make you suffer." She growled, and the girl stepped back, now genuinely scared of Mako. Her voice was now emitted in a low snarl, and her eyes was filled with malice and hatred towards the girl in front of her. "When I'm done with you you're going to wish you were dead."

The girl stepped forward as well. "Fine. Bring it on."

They pounced on each other; they pulled at each other's hair and scratched and kicked. The crowd looked on with shock as the two girls slammed each other's heads against the tables, spilling food and drinks. Blood trickled down both faces. The girl punched Mako in the face, who fell down. Mako jumped back up and lunged at the girl. They both fell to the ground. Mako leaned down and bit down on the girl's neck, who screamed in pain. Blood bubbled out of the wound. The girl kneed Mako in the gut, but she would not let go.

Suddenly there was a loud screeching noise. Somebody had blown a whistle from across the room, and everybody looked up to see several girls in uniform running towards them.

"Shit, it's the Public Morals Committee!" The girl shoved Mako off of her, and with her friends ran off in the other direction.

"What the hell is going on here? Was there a fight?" A girl stopped in front of Mako. "Reizei-san, what happened to you? Were you the one fighting?" She demanded. Her eyes widened as she saw the state Mako was in. "Oh my God! You're bleeding all over!"

Mako crumpled to the ground, and the girl stooped down to catch her.

"Sodoko!" Mako wailed. The girl frowned. "It's not Sodoko." She mumbled. "Tell me exactly what happened."

Sono Midoriko, or as everybody called her "Sodoko", was the head of the Public Morals Committee, the police force of Ooarai. After the student council itself, Sodoko was the most powerful individual across the school.

Anzu was munching on sweet dried potatoes as usual as she talked on the phone.

"So, how's the life, Key?"

" _Good. I'm really busy right now with the election campaign and stuff._ "

"Huh, must be pretty hard work."

" _Yeah, it is. Alisa has been a great help, surprisingly._ "

"Ah, the cheater."

" _Well, I suppose."_

"So are you winning so far?"

" _Can't say for certain right now. It's been pretty even for quite some time._ "

Anzu grinned. "How about a smear campaign against the opponent?"

" _No. I can't do that._ " Key replied. " _We have to do this in a respectful manner._ "

"Even if she is open about it? Whatever, you do you."

She emptied the bag, and took out another one from the desk.

"I have to say, this morning was quite the surprise."

" _Haha! Darjeeling hyped herself up with that one!_ "

"She is going to win, right?"

" _How could she not? The whole alliance declared war on just Kuromorimine, and besides for Pravda the other schools can't do much!_ "

"Maybe." Anzu answered as her phone rang while talking on to Key. "Oh, sorry. I got another call. Can I put you on hold for a sec?"

" _Yeah, go ahead._ "

Anzu pressed a button and answered with a cheery "Hello!". But her expression quickly turned dark. "So, explain this carefully to me, Sodoko."

 **Viggens High School, 1:14 P.M.**

Loki and Oslofjord sat from across each other.

"So, what's so important? Usually I don't have time for this." Loki tapped her finger against the armrests impatiently. Oslofjord gulped. "Well, as you know the 'Maternal Alliance' is now at war with Kuromorimine." She started. Loki signed. "I have no interests in your little conflict."

"You are helping our enemy! Cease your activities immediately." Oslofjord demanded.

"It is our school's right to trade with whoever we wish." Loki coolly replied. "I. Will trade with whoever wishes to trade with me."

"But Kuromorimine is a threat to the stability of Japan." Oslofjord explained.

Loki rolled her eyes. "By your logic I shouldn't trade with you because you are an enemy of Kuromorimine." She retorted.

Oslofjord frowned. "Then you are collaborating with criminals!" She shouted.

Loki scowled. "That is some accusation. If you think you can come over to my school and demand and order from me? You must be sorely mistaken." Her patience with Oslofjord was quickly running out.

"Then you, you are a threat as well! Don't force me to take action!" Loki exclaimed.

Loki chuckled at that. "Really? You and what army? Look, I don't know why you and your friends have some God complex. Why do you believe so much that you are the supreme authority? You have no such power over me."

"Don't underestimate us!" Oslofjord said, glaring at Loki. "You will regret this!"

Loki groaned. "I've had enough." She muttered. "Guards! Escort this young woman out!" She shouted, and two burly men appear from behind her. They picked up Oslofjord, who has a look of disbelief as she is taken out of the room. Loki stood up and walked out of the room, not at all pleased about what just happened.

 **Kuromorimine-Maginot/BC Freedom Border, Southern Front, 2:41 P.M.**

The Kuromorimine border was a fortress. Hundreds of concrete bunkers, dozens of kilometers of trenches and barbed wire, anti tank ditches and dragon's teeth lined the border. Dozens of cloches dotted the defense, while retractable turrets stuck up from the ground. Thousands of landmines littered the landscape. AA guns defended the line from the air. Entire towns were incorporated into the defense. Camouflaged artillery guns were secretly deployed behind the line, while hidden airfields could scramble aircraft when necessary. To prevent gliders or parachuters from landing behind the line, there was iron netting that spread out for hundreds of meters placed in strategic locations. There were machine guns and mortar positions. Tank garages allowed immediate armored support. Casemates and tunnels were interwoven together like an ants nest.

This line was manned by tens of thousands of soldiers, trained specifically to defend their fortress. To accommodate them, underground barracks were built for them, with cafeterias, bathrooms, and even lounge rooms available. There was enough food and ammunition to last them a lifetime.

This magnanimous fortress was to protect Kuromorimine's southern frontier from all invasions. The defensive line was dubbed the "Sheska Line", after its commander, General Sheska, who had become a rising star within the ranks after the collapse.

Sheska sat in her bunker, looking out of a window that faced BC Freedom. Over the fields and forests was the enemy, preparing to attack the border this very minute. _The test will begin in a few days at least, a week at most,_ she thought. _How my creation will withstand their attacks, I don't know for sure. But I hope we'll stop their attacks anyhow._

Sheska stood up and walked out of the bunker, into the green fields outside. _Maybe this is going to be the last time I'll be able to step outside in a peaceful world._ She watched the garrison do push-ups and run laps around the fields. _It's only a matter of time…_

"General? What are you doing?" A subordinate tapped her on the shoulders. "Oh." Sheska turned around. "Sorry, I was just stuck in my own thoughts."

"Well, we made some stollen. Want some?" The subordinate asked. Sheska nodded. "Sure."

* * *

 **And here is Chapter 7! Poor Miho and her friends, having to deal with rumors and ridicule from fellow students, how will they pull through?**

 **The cavalry scene was particularly fun to write. I was inspired by the little scene from War Horse(good movie btw) and a story I wrote earlier. I also felt it was appropriate as the Poles in WWII used cavalry to an extent(but the story of the Polish cavalry charging Panzers is a myth).**

 **And a 'new' character for Kuromorimine! Sheska is a minor character from Little Army II, a generally underappreciated series in my eyes. So I hope sheska(as well as other characters from that series) will become major players in this story.**

 **If you have any suggestions, criticism, or anything in general review this story or PM me! I will almost always answer any message I get!**

 **And now, I shall go. Until next time!**


	8. All Quiet on the Western Front

**Chapter Eight: All Quiet on the Western Front**

 **August 13th, Nanyo, Bonple, Around 9:22 A.M.**

Jajka and the general staff watched with glee as the army marched past them, standing in a open-top car, saluting the soldiers. Tens of thousands of girls paraded down the street while civilians tossed flowers into the formation. After the soldiers came the columns of tankettes, tanks and armored cars. Planes flew above the town, making a loud _buzzing_ sound.

"The Armia Yonezawa is the best-equipped army we have." Uszka whispered into Jajka's ear. "With over 150,000 troops, 330 guns, 820 armored vehicles and 500 planes, they are our pride and joy. They will become the core of the counteroffensive."

Jajka beamed. "Good. I have much hope for our school if they are our best." She glanced over. "They're headed for Shirataka, right?" Uszka nodded in confirmation. "We've decided to intercept the main Kuromorimine army to destroy them before they could reach the capital."

"Kuromorimine's army is advancing faster than we thought, so we had to hasten our mobilization, but the overall quality is still good. We'll split their forces in two and destroy them." She informed Jajka. They both smiled as the army continued to march past them.

 **Kamitazawa, Southern Bonple, 10:26 A.M.**

"Take cover!" The Kuromorimine panzergrenadiers ran through the forest, taking cover against the trees. Little chips of bark flew off of the trees as bullets ripped through the air. Soldiers ducked down in the tall grass and shrubbery, camouflaging themselves at the enemy, who were also concealed in the foliage.

The stabsfeldwebel(Staff Sergeant) leaned against the tree, reloading her K98 and glancing across the forest. She raised her rifle and placed it up to her eye. Her sights found a target around 118 yards away, a light-green helmet peeking over a small dirt hill.

She closed her right eye and let her left eye focus on the helmet. She pulled her finger, the rifle making a loud _pop_ and jerking up. She pulled the bolt back, and an empty cartridge flew out.

The bullet made its mark, as it ripped through the helmet of the Bonple soldier hiding behind the dirt. The soldier flew back with blood spraying out of her head.

She scrunched down as bullets whizzed by her. She glanced around and saw her friends fire back towards the north. The sounds of rifles and submachine guns echoed throughout the forest.

She dashed to hide behind another tree. She fired into the forest, not sure of where the enemy is. Dirt was blasted as the barrel jerked against the bark.

Fellow Kuromorimine soldiers took cover behind a cluster of tree stumps. One soldier set up a MG34 position and began fired into the green foliage. With a loud _tok-tok-tok,_ it led out a salvo of bullets. Rifles around the MG joined in the hail of bullets. They saw figures across the forest scatter as the bullets reached their lines.

"Continue to suppress the enemy, while we'll advance through the forest." An oberleutnant(1st Lieutenant) ordered the MG team. Grasping her MP38, she led a squad of soldiers, who crawled across the the ground. They dug through the warm dirt with their equipment _clattering_ against each other in their backpacks.

They advanced several dozen yards until they were spotted by Bonple gunners. The _pfft_ of bullets hitting the dirt caused the Kuromorimine troops to hug the ground. Bonple soldiers with Browning wz. 1928 LMGs and Kbsp wz. 1938M self repeating rifles blasted away from above them.

The oberleutnant raised her MP38 and fired at a large tree in front of her. Chips of wood flew off the tree, and a Bonple soldier turned away to take cover. She bolted across the forest as the soldier took potshots at her with her Karabinek wz. 1929 rifle. She ducked down when the oberleutnant peeked her head to spot the enemy soldier.

She saw the bushes a few hundred meters away bustling with movement; she emptied her magazine towards the bushes. As she reloaded her smg the Bonple soldier poked out from behind a fallen log and fired a single shot.

The bullet grazed the side of the oberleutnant's hip. She fell down against a tree, putting her hand against her hip. When she looked at her hand it was smeared with blood.

She winced as a bullet hit the bark next to her head. She slumped down onto the ground as more blood poured out of her wound. _Is this the end?_ She thought to herself. _Am I going to die here?_

Another soldier grabbed the oberleutnant, who was losing consciousness. "Fräulein!" She shouted as she dragged the oberleutnant back to friendly lines. "We need a medic!"

She dragged the oberleutnant behind a log, where a line of infantrywomen were taking cover. A medic run over to the wounded oberleutnant and began applying medical aid to her hip. The oberleutnant groaned in pain and jerked up against the log. "Hold still!" The medic ordered, and the oberleutnant gripped the bottom of the log as the medic stuck a needle in her arm. Her vision wavered and she went unconscious.

The stabsfeldwebel held her breath and aimed her rifle, trying ng to detect any signs of enemy activity. She winced when she heard several gunshots, followed by a shower of bark. She turned to the general area from where the gunfire came from. She fired off three shots before turning behind cover.

The Bonple private pulled the trigger of her Kbsp wz. 1938M, emptying out the magazine. She put another box in, and proceeded to advance through the forest, followed by hundreds of her comrades.

"Who knew they would advance so far." She muttered to herself. She aimed her gun at an exposed Kuromorimine soldier. With a successive fusilade of bullets the soldier's head was torn into pieces. The Bonple soldier grinned and step forward, warily turning her head in search for more enemies.

"Enemy battalion, two o'clock!" Somebody shouted. A hail of gunfire erupted within the forest. "Shit, fall back!" The Bonple company was forced to retreat further from the forest, all the way back to the small village of Kamitazawa.

"Set up defensive positions!" An officer ordered. Soldiers grabbed whatever they could find and placed them at the entrances of the village. The private reloaded her Kbsp wz. 1938M, and looked towards the forest.

Within minutes hundreds of Kuromorimine soldiers emerged from the forest, bearing down their weapons at the defenders. Gunfire from both sides lit the entire village up. Little houses were blown up from grenades, while submachine gunners dodged and weaved through the rice fields.

The private fired at a squad of Kuromorimine riflewomen, who jumped down to the ground. One soldier tried to shoot the private, but a machine gun suppressed them. The private grinned as she fired at her helpless targets. She killed most of the soldiers before glancing over to see a Kuromorimine soldier pull the cord of a grenade. She threw the grenade across the field and landed right in front of the private, who ducked down behind the sandbags.

She felt the explosion rock the sandbags, and she crouched down for protection. She stood up and fired at the grenadier, who staggered down to the ground.

Ckm wz. 30 MG fired at the herd of Kuromorimine soldiers that were crawling up the road. Bullets bit into the concrete around the soldiers as they desperately tried to hug the ground. Behind them a Panzer I rolled onto the road and began firing its machine gun at the Ckm wz. 30, the crew running in a panic. The Kuromorimine soldiers got up and dashed forwards when the coast was clear.

Then from the tall grass six Bonple soldiers with Mors smgs emerged and ambushed the Kuromorimine troops. The Kuromorimine girls tried to answer but one by one they fell, gunned down with dozens of bullets piercing their bodies. The bodies collapsed, blood spattering against the ground.

The Panzer I aimed its gun toward the Bonple troops, who flew back into the grass. The Panzer I blasted away into the foliage, slicing away grass and leaves. Several more Panzer Is joined the attack, driving past the corpses of the Kuromorimine soldiers. They advance past the abandoned Bonple positions, followed by several dozen more grenadiers.

As they drove down the street Bonple soldiers hid in the grass, armed with Wz. 35 anti-tank rifles and Karabinek wz. 91/98/23s. They carefully watched the Kuromorimine convoy roll by, and when the center Panzer I passed them they attacked. They raised their anti tank rifles and fired at the Panzer Is.

The Ten Panzer Is simultaneously stopped moving, their engines groaning to a halt and smoke pouring out of their compartments. The infantry rose up and began taking down the escorting Kuromorimine soldiers, who were taken by surprise. They waved their MP38s at the Bonple girls in response, spraying gunfire at the ambushers. One grenadier slammed against the side of a Panzer I by the force of a bullet hitting her right in the chest. She slid down the Panzer, leaving a trail of blood behind her.

From the cupolas of the Panzer Is crewmembers scrambled out of their tanks. As the Bonple girls aimed their rifles at their heads, they put their hands in the air as they climbed down the Panzers.

The stabsfeldwebel ran through the rice paddies, splashing in the ankle-deep water. _Why is the resistance here tougher?_ She thought angrily. _What the hell?_ Little drops of water flew up as bullets landed in the paddies. She saw a flash of sunlight reflecting from the edge of the field, and she quickly fired in that direction. She wasn't sure if she got her target, but she couldn't find out for sure. The Bonple defense was for some reason much stronger here. They were determined to stop the advance at this town.

She pulled the bolt back and forth, and continued to creep forward. Another grenadier ran up to her. "Stabsfeldwebel! We have managed to create a dent in their left flank." She reported. The stabsfeldwebel grinned. "Finally!" She exclaimed. "We'll completely burn down this little village!" She rose up and shot at a Bonple soldier who had been standing several hundred meters away, a small blotch of blood trickling down her face.

"Advance!" The Kuromorimine panzergrenadiers launched a new attack at the Bonple defense, who continued to rain down bullets against the grey-clad attackers. The stabsfeldwebel dug her hand into her belt and took out a grenade. She hurled the grenade as far as she could, landing behind a machine gun position.

The grenade exploded, shredding the back of the machine gunner with shrapnel. The stabsfeldwebel stood up and shot down any Bonple soldier that tried to get back up. She dashed to the sandbags and reloaded her rifle. More soldiers ran past the sandbags, overrunning the retreating Bonple troops. The stabsfeldwebel hopped over the sandbags and joined the attack.

As the Kuromorimine soldiers advanced, Bonple snipers took potshots from the rooftops at the enemy below. The Kuromorimine infantry stormed the houses, kicking down the door to each room and blowing entire floors up with grenades. Girls with their hands over their heads trickled outside, back towards Kuromorimine lines.

The stabsfeldwebel stood in the middle of the road. "Ugh, we finally beat them." She groaned in relief. Though the sounds of combat was still present, it was far away and slowly diminishing. More prisoners flowed down the roads, while Kuromorimine soldiers begin to relax.

"This was one tough battle." A soldier remarked, lighting up a cigarette. The stabsfeldwebel nodded as she looked around. The ground was littered with bodies from both sides. "Yeah. We've lost more troops than usual." She said.

The soldier grinned. "We should have a drink for this!" She exclaimed. The stabsfeldwebel chuckled. "You're underage, aren't you? A sophomore?"

The soldier smiled. "Damn, that's too bad then." She answered. "I guess the party has to be cancelled."

"You guys have a party planned?" The stabsfeldwebel responded with a roll of her eyes. "We don't have time for that, you know."

"When the fight is over, stabsfeldwebel." The soldier waved her hand. "When we win this war we're going to have the biggest party, with all the booze in the world!" She said. The stabsfeldwebel laughed. "Jesus, who the hell do you think you are?"

"Fräulein!" A soldier breathlessly ran up to the stabsfeldwebel. "Enemy activity, just a kilometer away! At least a dozen tanks and a regiment of infantry coming in for a counterattack!" She reported.

The stabsfeldwebel groaned and grabbed her rifle. "Alright girls, let's get this over with." She shouted. The soldiers took their weapons and prepared to brace for the assault.

"Hey, what the hell is that?" Somebody asked. The stabsfeldwebel looked up and saw several black silhouettes in the sky. Loud buzzing filled the air, and more soldiers gazed up. "Is that one of ours?"

"No wait, the shape is wrong." The stabsfeldwebel muttered.

It did not have the distinctive crooked wings of the Stukas; instead they were high-wing monoplanes, with their wheels poking out from the bottom.

"Fuck, it's the enemy! Get down!" The stabsfeldwebel realized, and dove to the ground. The Bonple PZL P. 11 fighter planes plunged towards the ground, firing their machine guns at the infantry. Soldiers screamed in agony when the bullets cut through them, causing them to collapse onto the ground.

The stabsfeldwebel pressed her entire body against the grassy ground, trying to present herself as less of a target as possible. Panicked soldiers run around, trying to shoot down the planes with their rifles and pistols. One girl managed to snipe the pilot from one of the fighter planes, and it sailed down into the forest. However, most planes continued to strafe the troops.

"Where is our aircover?" One soldier wailed before having her brain sliced in half by a hail of bullets. "Where did these bastards even come from?" The stabsfeldwebel growled in anger. "What the hell is the Luftwaffe doing?"

There was a loud roar, and the stabsfeldwebel looked up to see several hundred Bonple soldiers emerge out of the forest across the village, followed by several tanks and tankettes. The smoke trails of artillery shells emerged from the horizon, only to plunge into the midst of the throng of Kuromorimine soldiers. Thrown up dirt and dust coated the entire village in a brown cloud, and the planes continued to rain lead from above.

The stabsfeldwebel coughed out mouthfuls of dirt as she rolled into the field. _When did the enemy become this resistant? What the hell-_ her thoughts were interrupted when a large object landed on her back, nearly crushing her. Using all her strength, she pushed the thing off and stood up. Looking down, she was face-to-face with the cold gaze of a corpse sprawling across the ground.

The crackling of machine guns from the sky prompted her to bolt away from the village. She aimed for the forest, where the Bonple fighters could not get her. As she neared closer to her destination, she looked behind her. Many others have joined her, while Bonple soldiers began chasing in pursuit of the retreating Kuromorimine girls. She stopped, whirled around and shot at the direction of the enemy, before scampering towards the woodland in front of her.

The Bonple pilot grinned as she turned the nose of the PZL P.11 down, aiming for the scurrying mass of infantry below her. She pulled the trigger, and the two machine guns on the sides of the hull lit up. Colorful tracers cut through the backs of fleeing girls, with blood splattering out like paint. The plane glided back up, and the pilot maneuvered her plane to strafe the troops again. However, she winced as bullets from smgs bit into her wings, and she had to head far away before turning around.

The stabsfeldwebel turned her head both ways as she ran and watched her friends buckle down, their heads snapping back and their torsos thrown to the ground. She glanced down and saw a dead body right in front of her. She hurled over it, and when she landed back on the grass she almost slipped on wet blood.

In the treeline Kuromorimine soldiers set up a defensive line, with machine guns and field guns set up to fire at the advancing Bonple charge. The stabsfeldwebel smiled in relief as her comrades began to answer back at her pursuers.

But the relief soon vanished, as even though dozens of Bonple soldiers would be killed, more would just replace them. They continued their advance, slowly picking the Kuromorimine defense off one by one, all the while the Bonple fighter planes continued to strafe the soldiers.

The stabsfeldwebel stopped at the defensive line and turned around, raising her rifle and aiming it at the village, which was retaken by the Bonple attack. She fired twice, hitting a girl in the chest. The Bonple troops fired back, killing even more troops. A soldier armed with an MG34 next to the stabsfeldwebel stood up with her mg at her hip. She started firing from her hip, cutting down countless Bonple soldiers. Her entire body shuddered as she gripped the bipod, the gun barrel slightly raising and lowering after each shot. But she was gunned down when a Bonple submachine gunner emptied her magazine box on her.

Bonple tankettes fired their machine guns as they charged ahead of the infantry, while 7TP medium tanks lumbered behind, blasting their 37mm Bofors Wz.37 L/45 gun. Kuromorimine field guns pointed their barrels toward the tanks, but they were too slow as explosions threw the crew into the air.

The stabsfeldwebel cursed as the defensive line slowly crumbled. Soldiers started to step into the forest, still firing their smgs at the Bonple troops. But as girls fell around them, and the enemy advancing ever closer, they panicked and fled into the woods.

The stabsfeldwebel also turned around and ran as fast as she could. She ran through thick shrubs, ducked her head under low branches and jumped over fallen logs. She heard screams and gunshots all around her. She bit her lip as the rattling of submachine guns grew closer.

She glanced to her left and saw a soldier aiming a rifle right at her head. The soldier fired, and the stabsfeldwebel ducked her head as a small branch snapped off from the force of the bullet. The rifle made a loud _crack_ sound as it followed her, each shot closer than the last. The stabsfeldwebel looked at her hands and was shocked to see her rifle was not in her hands; she had dropped it in the chaotic retreat.

Her boot suddenly halted, and gravity swung her body down to the ground. She landed with a loud crash, and her vision blurred for a second. She shook her head and looked at her foot, which had hit a protruding tree root.

The _crinkle_ of leaves alarmed her, and she raised her head to see a Bonple soldier aiming a rifle at her head. The stabsfeldwebel instinctively slid backwards away from the girl, eventually bumping her head against the trunk of a tree. The Bonple soldier frowned as she motioned with her rifle. The stabsfeldwebel sighed as she put her hands in the air and stood up, now becoming a prisoner of war.

 **Two Kilometers away from the Kuromorimine-Gregor Border, 11:08 A.M.**

Columns of armored cars and trucks filled to the brim with soldiers drove down the dirt road, heading towards the military base right by the border. The soldiers were chatting with each other, tossing their heads back as they laughed. They were obviously in a good mood, waving their hands and leaning against the trucks.

"This'll be an easy fight, won't it? When are we going to attack them?" A private asked. The officer next to her smirked. "We're going to be at camp for a few days at least, two weeks at most. We're going to launch an offensive straight for Niigata. It's going to be a cakewalk." She proclaimed.

"But won't they have strong defenses or something?" Another soldier remarked. The officer shrugged. "Most of their forces are in Bonple, so there must be only a few thousand soldiers at most." She replied nonchalantly. "Maybe a few tanks here and there, but nothing we can't deal with." She grinned.

"Around 50,000 troops are being deployed to the border right now. Our armored forces are in the hundreds as of now, being prepared to roll through their cities. Our bombers are going to fly over their skies." The officer boasted. The rest of the soldiers laughed. "If beating Kuromorimine is that easy, then I guess Bonple is a hopeless cause." One girl chuckled. "Aw, come on. That's harsh, even for Bonple's standards." Another girl giggled.

"They are our allies, so be respectful." The officer reprimanded. "It is because of them taking the full brunt of Kuromorimine's army that we can rest easy." She reminded the soldiers. "They're making the greatest sacrifices to make our victory easier."

The armored convoy rolled through forests and hills. "We're going to have to fight in this kind of weather?" The private muttered. The sun was shining brightly above them, causing everybody to sweat from their steel helmets. "I almost hope we'll attack in the rain."

"That's another hell to deal with." The officer answered. "But this campaign will only last a couple of weeks, so the weather won't be so bad. Being surrounded by all sides won't work out well for them."

The low grumble of truck engines was slowly being overwhelmed by a high buzzing sound. "The hell is that?" The officer mumbled. The private looked up. "Hey, look at that!" She exclaimed. The girls in the trucks raised their heads and saw several shapes flying towards them up in the summer sky.

The planes suddenly dipped their noses and dove straight towards the caravan, a loud high-pitched wail emanating from them. They dropped their bombs and fired their machine guns in a graceful fury. The trucks and cars swerved off road to avoid the bullet impacts which landed in the dirt. An explosion threw an armored car into the air, which landed on its roof a few seconds later. Bullets _clanged_ off armor, and sliced through the open top trucks, killing the soldiers on board.

The private struggled to get off the truck as a bloody corpse slumped onto her shoulder. Pushing the body off of her, she climbed out the side of the truck and jumped on to the grass. The officer crawled over soon after. Blood was steadily flowing out of her shoulder. "Damn it. They got the jump on us!" She said with a scowl. She looked up. "Get down!" She screamed, crouching next to the truck. The private joined her in a panic.

The Stukas turned around for another run. Any surviving vehicles attempted to flee in the opposite direction, but the machine guns killed the drivers and turned vehicles into flaming wrecks. Soldiers out in the open were ruthlessly gunned down on the spot.

The private watched with fear from under the truck the carnage that transpired. Girls lie dead, their heads lolling to the side. Blood was spilling from their gaping wounds. Car doors were swept open with bodies slumping out from within.

The Stukas made their final run before flying away, leaving the convoy in ruins. Smoke pillars drifted up from the blazing ruins of the trucks and cars. The road was littered with bloody corpses. The once green grass was now a dark red, and the fluids seeped into the brown dirt.

The private and officer stood up and walked into the middle of the road. Several other girls stood up as well, coughing and staggering to their feet. With the sound of propellers gone everybody could hear the moaning and crying of the wounded. Soldiers riddled with bullets crawled across the road, leaving a red trail behind them.

"Shit, they got us good." The officer mumbled, before crumpling down to the ground. The private rushed down to pick her up, but the officer groaned in pain when the private touched her stomach. Feeling a sticky wetness, the private was horrified to see her hand completely covered in blood.

"Oh my god!" She screamed, and several other girls ran over. "We need a medic!" A group of soldiers gently carried her into the back of a damaged truck and placed her on the floor. "Is there a medic?" The private demanded. The other girls stared at each other. She groaned in anger. "Any medical supplies at least?" She pleaded.

"They were all destroyed…" A short girl whimpered. The private slammed her fist against the side of the truck. "Fuck!" She shouted.

"It's….alright…" The officer's hand shakily rose up, shocking everybody. The officer pushed herself up, but moaned and fell back down. "Don't hurt yourself even more!" The private ordered. The officer grinned, her face growing even more pale by the second. "Who...the hell….are..you to...tell….me what...to do?" She panted out. She stopped, and inhaled deeply. "Go..tell...HQ...We've been…" A violent fit overtook her, and she hacked out blood.

"We need to take you to the hospital! Is there a serviceable vehicle? Check now!" The private hollered, and several girls scampered to check every truck on the road.

"Leave...me…." The officer whispered in a trembling voice. "Save….yourselves…Don't...waste time...with me..."

"No!" The private yelled, tears brimming at the side of her bright hazel eyes. The officer put up a quivering smile, though it took all of her strength to not scream in pain. "I...don't think...I've gotten your...name…" She mumbled. Tears rolled down the her cheeks.

"Věra. My name is Věra." The private clutched the officer's hands. The officer's shallow breathing grew more sporadic. "That's...a good….name...Don't let…...it die….today..." She barely murmured. Her lips curled up into one last smile and closed her eyes. Her hand turned limp in Věra's hands.

Věra knelt there, letting her tears drop to the floor. She stood up and saluted before stepping out of the truck. Two soldiers had found a large white sheet and draped it over the officer's body. Věra wiped her eyes and looked at the survivors. "We need to go back and warn everybody." She stated, and all the other girls nodded in agreement. They were about to leave when they heard the thundering roar of of tanks and vehicles just from the other side of the hill. They watched with dread as the the shadows of a hundred Panzers loomed over them ominously.

 **Ooarai High School, 12:00 P.M.**

A seething Anzu sat at the desk, flanked by a nervous Yuzu and Momo. A calm-faced Sodoko stood across from the desk, crossing her arms.

Anzu leaned on her hands, with elbows on the desk. "So, did you find out who the identity of _that_ girl?" She growled. Sodoko nodded. "Yes. From witness testimonies, we are one hundred percent positive the perpetrator was Iwabuchi Kana, a senior." She replied. "She is an A+ student, always handing in her work, following the rules, courteous to her colleagues and teachers and never late for school. She also participates in several school clubs and after school activities." She sighed in resignation. "To say the least, she's the perfect student. Well, until now…"

Anzu scoffed. "Perfect student." She muttered. "Who the hell does she think she is?" She angrily took a chunk out of a dried sweet potato and swallowed it whole. "This is going to be difficult to deal with."

"She is one of the most popular girls, and has a considerable following." Sodoko reported. "She is also the biggest proponent of joining the war against Kuromorimine."

"And now she's a warhawk." Anzu groaned. "What the hell have we gotten our hands on?"

"Shall we call her over right now?" Momo asked. Anzu shook her head. "No, not worth my time right now. I have better things to do. Keep a watch on her though."

"Oh, and I have to add something." Sodoko said. "She is also the president of the President Kadotani Anzu Fan Club."

Anzu's jaw dropped. "Something like _that_ exists? What the hell? Do I have some kind of cult following?" She slapped her own forehead. "The more I learn about this person, the more confused I am."

Yuzu chuckled. "You are popular after all." She said. Anzu sighed. "I know, but I didn't think it would be to such a degree…."

"Wait, does she not know Miho saved the school from being shut down?" Anzu shot up from her seat. "I don't understand at all her logic. She says Miho isn't one of us, even though she was the one who saved this school. She told Nishizumi to go back to Kuromorimine, and when Takebe says Nishizumi left the school on her own account she said Nishizumi was a coward."

"And to remark about Reizei-san's parents and grandmother like that…" Sodoko muttered, clenching her fist.

"Oh, about that. We ought to visit her sometime." Anzu said, her tone turning more upbeat. Yuzu smiled. "Bring some flowers." She added. "And drag her ungrateful granddaughter along with us." Momo finished.

Anzu chuckled. "Maybe." She swallowed another dried sweet potato. "That won't be such a bad idea. I can be good with the old folks too, you know?"

 **BC Freedom-Kuromorimine Border, 3:34 P.M.**

The trench was silent. Girls in light green and beige uniforms huddled together as the artillery from the rear lobbed wave after wave of explosive shells across the empty border. The roar of the guns drowned out any conversations the soldiers had managed to start.

Soldiers from BC Freedom and St. Gloriana looked at the destruction the artillery had wrought on the Kuromorimine lines. From what they could see across the brown plain was a huge layer of dust covering the entire view.

A tall girl wearing a Dark brown battledress tunic and a light skirt with long white stockings gazed at no-man's-land. A steel Brodie MK. I helmet was fit tightly on her head. Her Lee Enfield rifle rested on the trench. On her breast pocket was a tiny emblem of St. Gloriana stitched on.

"That's some bombardment." She muttered, while shells continued to land in the Kuromorimine defense.

"Madam private, we are giving them everything we have." A BC Freedom girl replied with a chuckle. She adjusted her Adrian helmet as she brushed off dirt from her own uniform, even though she was practically standing in a pile of mud. "Once the guns go silent, all we have to do is take a little walk north."

"The army of Maginot is attacking the Kuromorimine border as well. I wonder how that's going to turn out." The St. Gloriana private said. The BC Freedom girl laughed. "Don't worry about them. I'm sure they're fine."

 _Boom. Boom. Boom._ The artillery kept up its barrage for hours. The private sat down and took out a pipe, watching the bombardment. She put it in her mouth, and puffed out several white rings with a heavy exhale. "I wish we had some tea right now." She said. The BC Freedom girl laughed. "I want some baguettes for this show." She added. "But, this isn't some movie."

The artillery stopped; everything went silent. Nobody talked and a sense of unease fell over the allied trench. "Oh, here we go." The BC Freedom soldier whistled. "This is where the fun starts."

A BC Freedom officer took a step out of the trench, raised her Modèle 1935 pistol with her right hand in the air, and placed a whistle in between her lips. With a blow of her mouth, A loud, shrill screeching noise echoed throughout the quiet landscape. "There's the order!" The BC Freedom girl exclaimed, taking her Lebel Model 1886 rifle with her hand. "Let's go!" She jumped out of the trench, and into the open. The private grabbed her Lee Enfield and chased after her comrade.

Thousands of girls from both St. Gloriana and BC Freedom rose out of the trench like a tidal wave. As soon as the first soldiers took a step into no-man's-land machine gun fire erupted from the other side of the empty field. Girls flew back into the trench as they were hit by hundreds of bullets, while an ocean of soldiers clambered up the ladders below them. Women weaved around their barbed wire while bullets whizzed around them. They blobbed up together, making them an easy target for the Kuromorimine machine gunners that aimed their sights at the attack. Girls that were sliced up by the mgs staggered down to the ground, where they were trampled by the herd of girls behind them. Entire platoons were wiped out in seconds. The muddy ground soon became a corpse-filled swamp of blood.

Though the attack lasted only for a minute the allied forces haven't even managed to cross one hundred meters and already hundreds of girls were lying on the ground dead. Even then, the charge continued. They inched closer, ducking their heads to avoid becoming a target of the mgs.

The girls continued to charge when the low whine of artillery shells grew louder. Humongous explosions erupted in the midst of the ocean of girls, throwing dozens into the air. The distinct green and khaki uniforms of the allied troops turned into a dark-brown and reddish color, mud and blood staining their field dresses.

The private ran, jumping over piles of dead bodies and sloshing through the mud. Bullets flew past her, cutting down girls behind and around her, though it seemed they were wholeheartedly avoiding the private herself. She pushed on, eventually crumpling into a crater made by an artillery strike.

Taking advantage of her cover, she scrunched down and watched soldiers run past her, only to get gunned down. More soldiers jumped into the crater panting heavily and putting their hands over their chests. The BC Freedom girl rolled into the dirt, gasping for air.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed in an angry tone. "What the fuck is this? We were supposed to waltz through the goddamn border, not be mowed down like fucking grass!" She yelped when a dead body nearly toppled onto her. Her face twisted into a contorted scowl. "The goddamn artillery failed. They had one job. One Fucking Job!" She exploded, and another soldier had to hold her down. "Caporal(Private First Class), calm down!" She shouted. "The artillery thought they destroyed the enemy trenchworks!" The caporal spat and swatted the soldier's hand away. "Screw the artillery!" She growled. "This is a slaughter!"

Several girls with both BC Freedom and St. Gloriana girls stormed into the crater, carrying heavy weapons. They immediately set up Hotchkiss M1914 machine guns and Lewis guns and fired back, trying to answer the incoming hail of steel. Girls stuffed the ammo strips into the feed of the Hotchkiss, which devoured the ammunition at an amazing speed. The pan magazine of the Lewis gun jerked violently. The private looked at the mass of girls that huddled before her. There were at at least fifty soldiers kneeled in the crater.

"What the hell are we going to do?" She demanded through gritted teeth, not allowing any dirt to fall into her mouth. "I don't fucking know." The caporal moaned, sinking farther down into the dirt. "We're stuck here until we're going to die."

"We're going to die here." A girl muttered, her eyes wide. Another soldier started to whimper incessantly.

In the back of the group sat a BC Freedom officer, her face turning red with anger. Here in front of her, her soldiers were cowering in the face of the enemy. The rank-and-file soldiers all started to cry, tears slowly trickling down their faces. Other soldiers looked down, their faces filled with fear. "The hell…" She muttered. This was not how her girls were supposed to act. She stood up and pushed her way to the front, shoving soldiers out of the way.

To the shock of everybody crouching in the crater, the officer stepped out of the crate and turned towards them, showing her back to the enemy. Her silhouette illuminated as bright explosions produced a fireworks display, and her short brown hair whipped up from the force of the bullets that shot past her.

"Is this how you're going to die?" She bellowed at the soldiers below her. "Are you going to die snivelling like a coward? Wipe those damn tears away! You were trained to be the best our school has to offer, yet you sit here, blubbering like babies!" She glared at the gaping troops. She raised her head. "We will bring glory and victory to our school by running into the fray! Cowering here will do you no good. If this is the day you fight and die, you will forever be immortalized as martyrs!" She screamed. The girls wiped away their tears and gave a look of determination, their terror now replaced by resolve. The officer wheeled forward, facing the enemy and unsheathed her Le sabre d'officier d'infanterie M1882. "Come on, you bitches, do you want to live forever?" She hollered. The soldiers stood up, and scaled the crater with a roar of courage emitting from their lips. The officer led the reinvigorated assault across the bloodbath, stepping over the remains of their dead comrades.

The Kuromorimine machine gunner kept her finger on the trigger, spraying the entire field before her with thousands of bullets, cutting down hundreds of girls. She could not count how many soldiers she had killed today. _Ugh,_ she thought with disgust. _I can't believe with one pull of my finger, I'm actually killing people._

She looked over, and saw a girl using both of her hands to push the ammunition into the feed of the MG34. She looked the other way, and saw a short girl without a helmet peering into a scope attached to a Gewehr 98. Her head jolted back and she pulled the bolt handle backwards, ejecting the cartridge. "Score!" She said, licking her lips. "That's number…..that's number 27! I am on a roll!" She shouted in elation. She flipped her choppy blonde hair back. "How about you? How many you get?" She asked the machine gunner, who just shrugged her shoulders. "I can't count when every time I touch this thing around ten people goes down." She replied. The sniper laughed. "Well, you might have the higher killcount, but when it comes to skill you've got nothing on me!" She boasted, looking into the scope once again. She grinned as her rifle propelled back. "28!" She exclaimed cheerfully.

The machine gunner shook her head as she turned back to her own sights. It was unbelievable how the enemy was charging right out in the open, making easy targets for the entrenched Kuromorimine soldiers and artillery gunners far in the rear. The MG34 shuddered as it belched out bullets, the bipod digging deeper into the soft ground. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the little green and khaki figures, which fell down with a burst from the mg. She stopped firing, as the ringing in her ears was by now drowning any thoughts the machine gunner tried to formulate. The _crack_ of rifles and _tok-tok-tok_ of machine guns was definitely overwhelming for her. "Ma'am, are you alright?" The girl holding the ammo asked with a worried face. The machine gunner nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just…" _We're just slaughtering them like cattle,_ she thought. _How did it become like this? How did we, schoolgirls, end up using machine guns to murder each other?_ Her face became pale, and her eyes bulged out when she realized the carnage before her.

The officer ran forward, oblivious to all danger, waving her sword in the air as if it was a religious banner. Hundreds of girls charged behind her, pointing their bayonets towards the Kuromorimine trench. As a soldier was taken out by a bullet, she was swallowed by the sea of girls behind her, the falling corpse disappearing in a matter of seconds. Even the gaps made by explosions were filled up, the bits and pieces of flesh and cotton raining down into the ocean of blood, mud and sweat.

The Kuromorimine trench was on the top of a slight incline, so the allied advance had to climb upwards to meet the enemy. This didn't faze the officer and the soldiers, who now had to fight bullet and gravity to reach their destination. As they ran up the hill, they slipped on the dirt and got caught in barbed wire. They screeched in pain as they thrashed in the wire before they were mercifully executed by the machine gunners above them.

They eventually reached the top of the hill, right at the Kuromorimine trench. The machine gunners turned their barrels towards the officer, but she swiped her sabre down and cut the gunners across the chest. She jumped into the trench and began cutting down any riflewoman that tried to stop her. The allied soldiers jumped in after her, gutting and shooting any gray-uniformed girl.

"Come on, cut them all down!" The officer screamed as she jumped into a squad of shocked Kuromorimine riflewomen, slitting throats and disemboweling stomachs. The silver swords and bayonets quickly began to drip red. Kuromorimine officers wielding Luger pistols fired into the mass of allied girls, gunning down several soldiers. Troops armed with Gewehr 1888 rifles with glinting bayonets charged the enemy. The two hordes of soldiers clubbed and stabbed at each other in the narrow trench. They rammed their rifle stocks against heads and skewered guts. Girls armed with maces bashed skulls and brains, while machetes and pickaxes made mincemeat out of flesh and muscle. Trench raiding clubs, furnished with nails sticking out of baseball bats were an edition to the gory melee. Short stilettos and thick knives made bloody gashes into anybody it made contact with. Tiny push daggers punctured the throats of many girls. The BC Freedom girls used the French Nail to carve out the faces of enemy soldiers. Trench spades were swung, smashing into helmets and breaking bones. Fascine knives and heavy claymores were utilized to decapitate heads and sever off limbs. Even without weapons, the literal free-for-all had girls punching, scratching and pulling at each other's hair.

The brawl of hundreds of girls spilled out of the trench and out into the hill, where more soldiers from each side piled on top of the fight, while farther off soldiers fired blindly into the crowd with their rifles. Girls tumbled down the hill, entangled in a life-or-death struggle.

They were so consumed by bloodlust that they didn't notice the drops of water slowly picking up speed. Within minutes a storm floated over the battlefield, covering the plains with a downpour of rain. With the lack of light the mass of girls became Indistinguishable as black figures thrashed around, save for the Brodie helmets of St. Gloriana, Adrian helmets of BC Freedom and the Stahlhelms of Kuromorimine. The dry ground turned into a marsh, with a mudslide began to form. With the occasional flashes of lighting that allowed the women from both sides identify their enemies, they slaughtered each other in the torrential nightmare.

The private ducked as a soldier swung a hatchet towards her head. The private, crouching down jutted her Lee Enfield rifle upwards. The bayonet skewered the soldier's throat, the tip tearing a hole in the back of the neck. The soldier looked astonished as the private pulled out, and she grabbed at her own throat with her hands. As blood gurgled out of the wound, she disappeared into the mud. The private had no time to relax as another girl charged her with a Gewehr 1888 rifle. The two rifles clashed together, but the Kuromorimine soldier smacked the Lee Enfield out of the private's hand. The private quickly took out her stiletto and jabbed blindly. It worked, as she heard a distinctive howl of pain.

Then lightning struck, and for a moment the soldier observed the devastation she had wrought in the few seconds of light.

The Kuromorimine soldier standing in front of her was staggering around, clutching her eye with both hands. The private had managed to gouge her eye out. From the hands oozed out dark blood. The Kuromorimine soldier glared at the private with her one open eye, and the private felt everything the enemy girl was going through; unimaginable pain and suffering, and unending hatred for the girl front of her. The private nearly froze, overwhelmed with horror and regret. But when the darkness returned, she stabbed again. There was another wail of agony. The private realized that she had gotten the other eye.

There was another flash of lighting, and the private's fears were confirmed. The enemy girl covered both of her eyes as she twisted down on to the ground. The private, seizing her chance pounced on the writhing soldier. The private pushed her down and sat on top of her. Because she couldn't see properly anymore, she brought down her stiletto on the soldier aimlessly. Each time the stiletto landed it made a sickening _crunch_ sound against the flesh of the poor soul, who continued to squirm in anguish. As the private bore down her weapon, she felt the contrast of the hot tears and freezing rain pouring down her face, and her loud sobbing was nearly drowned out by the roar of fighting.

Eventually the corpse below her stopped moving, but the private continued to stab unaware of the enemy's condition. Her already blinded vision now blurred by heavy tears, she was unable to distinguish between dead and living. She finally stopped when her stiletto dug into the body so deep that the handle touched met the corpse and her hand felt the cold flesh.

With one last sob, she stood up and looked around at her surroundings. The black shadows that lunged at each other. The roar of the rain, the screaming of pain and fury, and the crashing of weapons and bodies. The occasional red and orange explosions and colorful lines of tracers. The sudden flashes of lighting that showered the otherwise near pitch-black sky with white. The flood of water from the heavens and the boggy mud that hampered quick movement. The stench of steel and rotten flesh. The mud, rain and entrails causing a landslide on the hill. The blood, water and tears that poured down her face.

Her eyes widened, and her legs buckled. She crumpled down and sank into the mud, cradling her now helmetless head with her arms. Her teeth chattered and she rocked her body back and forth. Her shattered mind had finally realized what her subconscious had already unfortunately understood; she was in Hell on Earth.

As she muttered incoherently to herself a lone Kuromorimine soldier stepped behind her and shot her once in the back of the head with a Luger.

The caporal lunged at the Kuromorimine soldier, stabbing her in the chest. The soldier's hand darted to her wound before the caporal kicked her down the hill. _Shit,_ she thought as the rain pounded against her helmet and soaked her uniform. Her boot landed in a pile of mud, and she slipped, nearly flipping over her head. "Fuck!" She shouted as a Kuromorimine girl stood over her, lowering a billhook over her head. The caporal rolled out of the way as the billhook sank into the mud. The Kuromorimine soldier struggled to release her melee weapon from the mud, but to no avail. The caporal grinned as she skewered the soldier's gut. The girl doubled over trying to hold in her spilling organs, moaning in agonizing pain. She rolled onto her back, and the caporal struck her bayonet into the soldier's neck.

The caporal turned around and saw a girl with a Beholla pistol aimed at her. She fired, and the orange muzzle flash lit up her hardened face. The caporal felt the bullet slice her left earlobe off, and blood dribble down the side of her head and neck. She grimaced and leapt towards the soldier, who fired again. The caporal landed on the soldier, and they both tumbled down into the mud. The caporal was on top of the soldier, slamming her rifle butt into the girl's face. Each time she slammed the blunt end there was a _crack,_ the jawbone and skull being shattered.

She felt something strike her stomach, and she flew off of the soldier. She landed face up in the mud, and tried to get up but a heavy weight was on her abdomen. She saw the dark figure sitting on top of her. The caporal grimaced as the soldier punched her face, her teeth flying out of her mouth. Blood splattered out along with them.

Then she felt the hands squeeze around her neck. She clawed at the hands, trying desperately to preserve her life. The air in her slowly diminished and her vision became hazy. With the last of her strength she scanned the ground for anything on the ground, and grasped the handle of a trench knife. She gripped tightly and swiped her arm and jabbed the soldier's arm. The soldier screamed in pain and clutched her elbow, letting go of the caporal's neck. The caporal rose up, the deflector crest of her Adrian helmet busting the soldier's nose. She staggered off of the caporal, who sprung onto the enraged enemy and grabbed her head. With a swift movement of her hands she twisted the head, the bones in her neck all snapping at the sametime.

She stood back up and panted heavily. She turned her head and wiped the saliva that had drooled out of her mouth. She noticed a screaming soldier charge towards her. Sticking her leg out, the caporal watched as the girl trip and fall face first into the mud. She lay on the ground, and the caporal stepped on her back. With a grunt she drove the trench knife into the girl's neck several times, each time she took the knife out hot blood splattered onto the caporal's face. She pushed the girl's head deeper in the mud, who tried to push her face out of the disgusting sludge. The caporal pushed the knife into the girl's nape one last time, and the girl stopped moving.

A roll of thunder, and lightning flashed. The caporal saw the corpse lying facedown, her neck carved out. The caporal turned around slowly walked away, clutching her trench knife.

The BC Freedom officer ran through the trench, slicing and skewering countless soldiers. A Kuromorimine soldier with a pickaxe raised her weapon to crack her head in two. The officer blocked the pickaxe with her sabre. They parried each other, stepping through the slippery trench and over floors of dead bodies. The officer swiped up and slashed the soldier's chest and jaw. Blood poured out in a oozing red line. The soldier growled and stepped forward, her pickaxe in a defensive stance. The officer stood tall, her sabre pointing forward. She jumped, and the soldier braced, raising the pickaxe over her head.

The officer jumped up to the side of the trench and stepped along the wall, easily running past the surprised soldier. The officer jumped off the wall and landed behind the soldier's back. Before the soldier could turn around, a large gash appeared across her back. Her legs grew weak and she fell down.

The officer continued to walk down the trench, cutting down more soldiers. She turned a corner, and was face-to-face with a Kuromorimine soldier who was cowering on the ground. She yelped as she saw the tall figure of the officer towering over her, the sabre hanging at her side. The officer took a step forward, raising her sabre into the air. The Kuromorimine girl screamed as she crawled back on all fours, bumping into a dead end. She hyperventilated as the officer took slow, deliberate steps. "Please!" She cried. "Please!" She begged as the harsh, cold winds nipped the faces of both girls.

The flash of lightning showed the girl's large blue eyes and small face. Her light orange hair was a strange contrast to her grey uniform and helmet. Her beautiful face was warped into a petrified expression, tears flowing out of her eyes like a waterfall. Her pink lips curled downwards, and wrinkles lined her freckle-ridden cheeks. She shook at the very sight of the officer, and flinched with a squeal when the officer moved a muscle.

Seeing the young girl-she was no doubt several years younger than the officer-made the officer freeze. She Her body ignored all of the commands her brain issued, as if her muscles themselves went and mutinied. Seeing this defenseless girl recoil in front of her made something click in her. The girl wailed when the officer lowered her sabre. But the sabre didn't make contact with the soldier.

The officer sighed as her sabre swayed by her side. To the astonishment of the soldier the officer took a step back, sheathing her sword. A faint smile crept onto her lips. "It's alright." She whispered. She took more steps back away from the girl. "Don't worry."

She felt something impale her stomach and lurched forwards. She moved her hands down and felt the bayonet sticking out of her, cutting her fingers. Her head became dizzy and she felt her legs give out. She slid off, leaving behind a trail of blood and entrails on the steel bayonet. She landed on the trench floor, her head bouncing up. She looked up at the soldier who gored her, panting and gripping her rifle. "Mia!" The girl shouted. The young girl scrambled to her feet and hugged the soldier, who looked down at the gasping officer on the ground, blood overflowing from her gaping wound. The soldier aimed her rifle at the officer, and the rifle rang out one more time.

The girls kept on fighting, sliding and slipping on the mud. No fist and weapon remained untouched by blood. Even though more troops piled on, the pendulum was slowly but surely swinging in the direction of the defenders. Even as BC Freedom and St. Gloriana threw more troops into the fray, the Kuromorimine defense was too strong. One by one, the allied girls began falling back to their own lines. This trickle soon turned into a torrent of soldiers showing their backs to the Kuromorimine lines. The defenders quickly remanned their machine guns and fired down at the running troops. Bullets arced down as they tore through muscle and bone, taking down even more soldiers. The rain had now stopped and the clouds let up, with beams of light showing the true carnage the battle had brought.

The machine gunner watched the enemy soldiers wobble back to their trench, using their rifles as crutches. With a press of the trigger, the three girls in her sight fell into the mud, never to get back up. The machine gunner looked around the plain. It was a muddy wasteland, with thousands of corpses sinking into the brown abyss. Wounded girls moaned in the field, crawling desperately for attention, their needs unattended. Pieces of human flesh littered the landscape, while blood and rainwater only made the situation even messier. Millions of flies and maggots now feasted on the rotten paradise. Every meter was literally covered by either a corpse or blood.

The machine gunner took her finger off the trigger and looked out. "It's a damn nightmare out there." She muttered, watching the dozens or so girls stumbled back to their lines. Other machine gunners and snipers kept on firing down. "Hold your fire!" The machine gunner hollered, and in surprise the Kuromorimine troops halted their guns.

"Holy shit." The machine gunner leaned back, hands over her face. "What the hell did we do?" She mumbled under her breath.

The last of the allied girls finally reached their trench, all bloody and battered. Nobody was unhurt, with shattered bones torn-up flesh. As they fell down they screamed for medics and help. Many cried for their mothers, for mercy and for God.

The caporal sat alone, shivering to herself. Her uniform was stained by fluids of all kinds, the original color of her dress all but disappeared. Her rifle lay abandoned by her side, the bayonet completely red. Another soldier, from St. Gloriana brought a cup of tea for the caporal. "Here you go." She said, handing the cup to the caporal, who took it silently. The caporal tried to thank the girl, but only managed to grumble. She put the cup to her lips, and drained it within seconds. "I-I-I-" She stammered out. The soldier wrapped a coat around her and gave her a hug. "It's fine now. It's over." She whispered. The caporal froze, then broke down. The soldier comforted her as she bawled, digging her head into the soldier's chest.

The combined BC Freedom and St. Gloriana offensive suffered nearly 20,000 casualties in four hours, 11,000 of them killed and 3,000 of them going missing.

* * *

 **And thus began the Maternal Alliance's campaign against Kuromorimine, the so called 'Southern Border War'. Even though it would be only a few months long- short compared to the years-long campaigns later in the war,-it would become infamous for its savagery and barbarity in a war that would already be regarded by historians as the most brutal conflict in Japanese history with its inhuman atrocities and sadistic crimes unparalleled since the world wars and the split of Yugoslavia.**

 **Survivors of this certain campaign would be known for their lack of compassion(or any other emotion besides apathy or misery in general) and many would either turn catatonic, commit suicide or drink and abuse drugs until they waste away. Many would also lose their sanity in the coming months, while some became so desensitized that they would commit some of the cruelest acts of the entire war.**

 **There are many nicknames for this particular time of the war-from 'The Human Meat Grinder', 'The Colosseum', 'The Verdun of the Orient', and to some veterans with a dark sense of humor- 'An Average Night at the Bar'. To most, however, there was one name that fit the image- 'Satan's Playground'.**

 **The border regions of Niigata, Toyama and Nagano would be affected for decades to come. Even after the war's end, skeletons would become unearthed, and bombs and mines would be discovered each year. There would be several cemeteries containing tens of thousands of soldiers, many of whom their identities were never even properly figured out.**

 **This would be the proof that this war would not be quick, but instead would be long, drawn-out and bloody.**

* * *

 **Hello everybody! I hope to enjoyed this chapter. Bonple finally scored a (somewhat insignificant) victory against Kuromorimine! And Kuromorimine attacks Gregor in a surprise invasion. BC Freedom and St. Gloriana(with Maginot, which is not shown) starts their assaults against Kuromorimine.**

 **I hope you like the World War One bit. While the war against Bonple and Gregor might be fast-paced, the war in the South will quickly turn into grueling trench warfare, filled with barbed wire, machine guns, mud and the all too many artillery bombardments and useless infantry charges. I've always liked WWI, and I'm glad I could incorporate it into my story(I also put in a quote by a US marine from the war, dammit).**

 **Alright then, until next time(I will be on vacation for a few days and school is going to start in a week or so, so I do not know when the next chapter will be up).**

 **P.S. I have now added titles for each chapter! Here is a list of the titles for each chapter:**

 **Chapter one: War Without Bloodshed**

 **Chapter two: Politics with Bloodshed**

 **Chapter three: Tigers from the East**

 **Chapter four: Maternal Instinct**

 **Chapter five: Blood and Iron**

 **Chapter six: Failure of Appeasement**

 **Chapter seven: Then the Winged Hussars Arrived(Yea I'm a fan of Sabaton)**

 **Okay, until next chapter!**


	9. Alone Together

**Chapter Nine: Alone Together**

 **A Few Kilometers Away From Shirataki, Bonple, August 10th, 9:32 A.M.**

The column BMW R75 motorcycles roared through the open plains, scouting ahead for the larger army behind them. The lead R75 halted, the driver stopping on top of a large hill. She took off her crusher cap and wiped her sweaty forehead. The soft winds picked her long blonde hair up, and the girl took a pair of binoculars from her breast pocket. She began to peer through them, scanning the horizon.

"Is there something out there, Fräulein?" Another R75 rode up to her. The blonde girl took her eyes off the binoculars. "I thought I saw something in the forest a kilometer off." She replied.

"It's probably just a squirrel." The blonde girl turned to her right and saw the girl sitting in the sidecar, munching on an apple. She had her legs crossed, and she leaned back in her seat, clearly relaxing. The MG34 pointed up to the sky. The blonde girl scowled. "This isn't a joke. We've almost crossed half of Bonple, and there's bound to be some enemy activity here." She said. The girl sitting in the sidecar threw the rest of the apple over her shoulder. She took out a mirror and began applying makeup. "Even if there was something, we would just report it and it would be taken care of." She replied nonchalantly. The blonde driver sighed as she looked into the binoculars once more.

The forest looked to be quiet; the wind had stopped and the trees quit their swaying. The driver narrowed her eyes and concentrated. She zoomed in her binoculars, her vision was now covered in green.

Then she saw it. At first it was just a small shift in the trees, how a few jerked in unnatural directions. Then from the dark forest emerged several girls, unmistakably in Bonple uniforms. After that several tanks followed suit, stopping right at the border of the forest.

"Shit, enemy contact, three o'clock! At the forest!" The driver cursed as she tore her eyes off the binoculars. The other girl sat up in alarm. "What?" She demanded. "They have tanks!" The driver shouted. She revved up the BMW and put her cap back on.

"We need to contact HQ!" She ordered to the other R75s, who also began to start their idling motorcycles as well. She looked into her binoculars. There were even more Bonple soldiers and tanks coming out of the forest, though they didn't seem to notice the Kuromorimine scouting party.

"One..two..three….eight 7TPs." She mumbled. "There must be at least two platoons down there."

"I've got the coordinates down." The girl in the side car exclaimed. The driver nodded. "Good." She said.

Four BMWs turned around and headed back to their field HQ, while the rest continued to observe the enemy force.

"They're heading west." The driver muttered. "They're heading north-west. Maybe they're trying to rendezvous with other units."

"Could be. We did rout a number of troops in the last week." The girl in the sidecar added.

A tank turned its barrel up at the R75 and fired. The shell landed right next next the motorcycle, showering both girls with dirt. "Okay, it's time to move out." The driver said. The girl in the sidecar pulled the MG34 down. "Should we engage them?" She asked while small arms fire flew around them, landing in the dirt in front of them. She cocked the bolt of the mg. The driver shook her head. "We're too outgunned in this situation. We're pulling back."

The motorcycles pulled out of the hill, quickly disappearing in a cloud of thrown-up dirt.

 **Heeresgruppe Ost Field Headquarters, Bonple, 9:44 A.M.**

Koume sat in the tent, leaning on the table. She waved a fan in front of her head and took a gulp of water.

"It's so hot." She moaned. "Why is summer in Japan so goddamn hot?"

Eric walked in the tent, followed by several staff officers. They saluted at the sight of Koume, who lazily responded with her arm raised up.

"What is it?" She demanded. A staff officer stepped up. "There has been several reports of enemy activity in the Shirataki area." She reported. "With many sighting at least a regiment and several tank squadrons. The reports are spread over a kilometer radius."

Koume perked up. "Oh?" The staff officer nodded and continued. "From all the reports we believe the enemy force to be at least three divisions." She said.

"Oh, okay. Just tell Kitayama and the 9th division to deal with them." Koume waved her hand. "Now get out." She ordered, and the staff officers ran out, leaving Eric alone with Koume.

"Victory is close. I can feel it." Koume grinned. "The war will be over and done with." Eric smiled in agreement. "Yes, fräulein."

"Just call me Koume already!" Koume shouted in exasperation.

 **Kaneyama, Gregor, 10:11 A.M.**

Two girls huddled together in an abandoned house as the Kuromorimine bombers dropped their payloads over their heads. The ground quaked and buildings collapsed, but the girls were unharmed save for a few scratches.

"When is it going to stop?" One wailed, her small body trembling. She had short light hair, glasses, freckles and an underdeveloped chest. Compared to her companion, she was like a baby.

"It's okay, Dušana." Another girl embraced her. "It's alright." She was bigger in the sense of breasts, and was a bit taller with a sleeker appearance. She looked like a royal princess. "We'll get through this together." She smiled at the sight of her whimpering friend. _She was so cute when she was like that,_ she thought.

She gave quick kiss on Dušana's forehead, who blushed. "Now's not the time, Emma." She mumbled. Emma smiled. "It's to make you feel better. You know I want you to feel safe." She whispered. Dušana pulled herself into Emma's chest, smelling her rosy fragrance. "You always make me safe. In school, in boot camp, basic training. You were always the only one holding me up."

"You helped me as well." Emma said. "You were the one to approach me when I had nobody to look after me. I can't thank you enough."

"You already paid your debts by being with me." Dušana whispered, her fear fading away. However, another explosion caused her to tear up. "I can't do this anymore. I can't take this!" She screamed, digging her face into Emma's cleavage.

Emma pulled her out of her shirt. "Stop this crying. I said we're going to survive this." She grabbed the back of Dušana's head and leaned her face in closer.

Their lips locked together, Emma's deep red and Dušana's lighter pink fusing into one. Dušana's face begins to burn up as Emma's soft lips overpower her mouth, and her entire core turned warm. Their tongues were interlocked in a dance of intimacy for several long minutes.

Dušana tore her face away completely red. Standing up, she looked around. The noise of explosions was now being accompanied by gunfire and shouts from outside. "Let's get out of here." She said. Emma grinned as she also stood up, following her shorter lover.

They broke out of the room they were holed up in, a second story bedroom. They had stayed there the night before, using it as a defensive position against the surprise Kuromorimine invasion. They had attacked the town yesterday but were repulsed by the stubborn defenders. To celebrate their small victory, Emma and Dušana had spent the entire night indulging in romantic passions, staining the bedsheets with saliva, sweat, blood and other bodily fluids.

They opened the door and walked down the hallway. As they walked down they glanced at the rooms adjacent to the bedroom. The bathroom was completely caved in, with the roof tiles lying in a heap on the floor.

"Good thing that wasn't us." Dušana mumbled. They descended the stairs, half of which was crushed by a slab of concrete. The two girls leaped over the concrete and landed with a soft _tap_ against the wooden floor.

As they walked across the first floor the wooden floorboards made a loud _creak,_ echoing throughout the empty residence. The two froze when the pounding of artillery grew closer and the shuffling of footsteps was heard just beyond the walls.

"Shit!" Emma whispered to Dušana, and they tiptoed into the dining room, taking cover under the table. From underneath they could see the window, and the shadows that walked outside. The shadow stopped by the window, broke the glass and the face of a girl peeked in, only to throw a grenade into the dining room.

Fortunately the grenade landed in the far side of the dining room, showering the room with dust and thousands of shrapnel. The two girls clamped their mouths shut as the dust cloud quickly enveloped them.

As the cloud slowly dissipated the soldier looked in again. Seeing nothing, she begins to climb through the broken window, only to get shot from the back of the head building across the street.

The body fell into the dining room, making a loud crashing noise. The two girls crawled out of their hiding place and sighed in relief. "That was close." Dušana said, her hand over her chest. Emma smiled. "Yeah, they almost got us. But they didn't." She glanced out of the window, and immediately pulled herself back in.

"It's too dangerous outside." She decided, looking back at Dušana. "We need to hide here for a bit more." They were about to crouch down when they heard the whine of artillery shells aiming for the house. Emma screamed and pushed Dušana out of the way as the entire wall and wall collapsed above them. They ran as more shells landed in the home, destroying furniture and the structure.

"In there!" A panicked Dušana exclaimed and pointed to the open door of the basement. They bolted towards the door as pieces of furniture flew behind them.

Just as the two girls hurled themselves down the basement stairs, a huge piece of concrete crushed the swinging door, blocking the only exit of the basement. "Oh shit!" Emma shouted as she banged frantically against the concrete. Dušana watched as she pushed with all her strength, to no avail.

She collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. "No. No no no no." She hung her head low and bright yellow hair draping over her desolate expression. She looked up at Dušana. "I can't move it out of the way!" She exclaimed.

Dušana's eyes began to fill up with tears. "I-I'm sorry!" She stammered. "I thought this would be a safe place!" She started to cry. Emma got up and hugged her. "It's not your fault. You did your best." She whispered. She wiped Dušana's eyes and took her hand. "Come on, let's try together."

Together they grabbed any furniture they found and smashed it against the concrete barrier in a futile attempt to get out. After half an hour both were lying on the ground, both gasping for air. Pieces of shattered furniture were dispersed around them.

"We can't do it." Dušana mumbled. "We can't get out of here." She put her hands over her eyes. "We're going to die here!"

Emma slowly got up. "Let's not lose hope." She said optimistically. "Maybe somebody will rescue us!" She suggested, grinning at Dušana. They both fell silent as they listened to the rush of combat above them, with the rattling of guns and the blasts of grenades dampening their only hope.

"Nobody is going to find us in the battle." Dušana muttered, slumping against the stone wall. "We're going to die alone." Emma rushed over and kissed her on the cheek. "At least we have each other! Things can't get any worse, can they?" She said in a hopeful tone.

They both yelped as the lights went out, blanketing the entire basement with darkness. "Ahh. What the hell is this?" Dušana wailed. "We need to look for a flashlight or something!" Emma shouted, getting on all fours and sweeping the floor. Dušana whimpered as she followed suit, crawling around with her eyes glued shut.

Three hours later, a small flashlight shined brightly against the wall, along with a large springy mattress. There were also three white pillows and a bed sheet. Emma rummaged through several large boxes. "Good thing the people that lived here used the basement as a storage area. We found so many cans and boxes of food for us to eat." She opened up a crate and whistled when she pulled out several incense candles. "Look at this!" She turned to a pouting Dušana. "Now finding this was unexpected! Now we need some matches!" She dug her hand in the crate and pulled out a box of matches. "Nice!" She exclaimed in surprise. She walked over to the makeshift bed they made and plopped down next to Dušana, who watched as she placed the candles around the bed.

"What are you doing?" Dušana demanded. Emma looked at her. "I thought we should at least enjoy the time we have together…" She whispered. "We're not going to survive down here. I know we're going to die. I-" She choked on her words. "I'm prepared to die. I don't care if I live or die anymore." Dušana's eyes widened. "But-"

Emma's cheery facade cracked. "I just wanted to spend my last few hours with you! That was my only wish, and it came true!" She shouted. "I want to die in your arms! I don't care about anything else. And I was so happy now that we have our own tomb." She saw Dušana's pale face, and she broke down. "I know I'm being selfish and crazy! But my life was nothing without you! I can't live without you. I didn't want to tell you because I thought you would hate me for that." She grabbed Dušana's hand. "I love you more than anything in the world. Please, don't hate me for being so selfish!"

Dušana faintly smiled and gripped Emma's hand. "Don't worry. I was getting tired of this life as well. This can be our honeymoon of eternity." She said, and Emma's face lit up. She froze and her eyes narrowed, to Emma's confusion. She stood up and ran over to the corner of the basement. She came back with several bottles of liquor in her hands. "Shall we have a little fun?" She asked as she opened them with a wine opener. She took a swig of a bottle and alcohol dripped down her mouth. As she took her lips off the bottle Emma's tongue lapped the excess liquor off of her face. Emma pushed Dušana onto the bed, both of them laughed as they fell down.

"What are you, a dog?" Dušana asked. A wide smile crept onto Emma's face. "I'll be your pet if you want." She winked. Dušana smirked. "Are you sure you want me as your master? I won't treat you well." She sat up and chugged down half a bottle of liquor. Emma got up as well and began drinking the bottles that stood on the ground.

After drinking four bottles they both kneeled on the bed, red-headed. Emma lit the incense candles and turned off the flashlight, illuminating the couple with a bright orange color. She giggled as she took off her shirt, revealing her buxom chest. "Come on, show me your flat meadow." She cooed, running her finger down Dušana's chest. Dušana scowled as she ripped her shirt off, where unlike Emma, her breasts were little bumps. "Don't look at them too much." She muttered as she blushed. Emma lowered down and put her mouth on Dušana's chest, who cried out in surprise. Emma came back up, saliva dripping down her red lips. "Don't be embarrassed." She whispered. "Your body is perfect." Her hands crept down Dušana's hips and under her skirt. Dušana almost jumped up when Emma's long fingers slowly tear her underwear from her skin, and moaned out loud. Emma giggled. "You like that don't you?" She asked, kissing her lover again. Dušana nodded. Emma snuggled closer. "Why don't you retaliate?" She stood up to rip off her skirt and underwear, turning Dušana's face completely red. Grinning, Emma pounced on Dušana and pulled her panties off. "No, stop!" Dušana shouted drunkenly, but Emma was relentless in her attack. She was soon towering over Dušana, their bodies connecting together.

The flames of the candles flickered as the two bodies rocked back and forth, the mattress making a loud creaking sound. Moans of ecstasy broke through the heavy panting and grunting. Dušana, on her back latched her fingers around Emma's rear end while Emma continued to fondle Dušana's bare chest. The air in the basement grew hot as the bodies rubbed in a quick rhythm, sweat coating their skin.

Dušana gritted her teeth as her insides turned warm and the feeling of liquid accumulating grew. "Ah, Emma!" She shouted as she looked up at Emma's face, who had an expression of absolute pleasure. She let out a loud cry before opening her eyes. "You too?" She asked as she swayed forwards. Dušana nodded, tearing up.

Several minutes later, they both lay on the bed, out of breath. Their thighs were hot and sticky. "That...was...amazing…" Emma gasped out. Dušana climbed on top of Emma's stomach. "It was the best time I ever had." She replied, snuggling up Emma. "But I guess this is our last time…" Emma whispered as the ground began to shake. Cracks appeared in the ceiling, and little pebbles landed on Dušana's back. Dušana's grip around Emma tightened. She kissed Emma. "I don't care anymore. You're with me, and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, you're right." Emma smiled as little fragments of the ceiling began to cave in. She grabbed Dušana's hips. "I've lived a good life with you. Nothing more could be better." She arched her hips up. "How about we finish it off with a bang?" She winked, and raised a bottle of wine. Dušana nodded and pulled herself off of Emma's body, towering over her.

The couple began their final act of love while the world around them crashed to the ground.

 **Kuromorimine High School, 10:31 A.M.**

Maho's phone chimed endlessly on the table while she nestled in her bed. The German song " _Panzerlied_ " blared out, but Maho continued to sleep. The phone continued to vibrate across the surface.

There were many knocks on the door. "Commander!" Erika's voice called out from the other side. "Commander, wake up. Your phone is ringing." She opened the door and walked in.

Groaning, Maho finally woke up, wiping her eyes with her arm. She turned to face Erika, who turned red. "Commander, why are you-" She couldn't finish her sentence and turned around. Maho looked down at her bare chest. "Oh, it was hot last night." She said nonchalantly. She leaned over the bed and grabbed a shirt. She quickly threw it over her head, not bothering to put on a bra.

She faintly smiled at Erika, who blushed and walked out of the room. She stood up and picked up her phone.

"Hello?" She answered. " _Nishizumi!_ " The voice of Géza pierced her ears. " _What the hell happened?_ "

"What do you mean?" Maho asked in a confused tone. " _You said you were going to take a defensive stance against Gregor! So why did you invade?"_ Géza demanded. Maho sighed. "Erika suggested we attack. Gregor was also anticipating us to take a defensive posture against them. So we decided to strike them while they were still organizing. Thanks to that, their entire army is in disarray right now." She chuckled. "I also made things easier for you, so you should thank me."

" _Sure, whatever. You should really stop throwing everybody around like a damn train ride._ " Géza said in an annoyed tone from the other side. The phoneline clicked, and Maho was left with a beeping noise.

 **Ooarai High School 1:20 P.M.**

Anzu munched on sweet dried potatoes, reading the newspaper. "Hm, things are getting even more crazier, Kawashima." She said, turning towards Momo. Momo frowned. "Please work." She muttered. Anzu shrugged. "Don't worry about it!" swiveled around in her swivel chair. "I'm just catching up on the news so you don't have to. That's my job."

"Thank you for doing your job." Yuzu entered the room and patted Anzu's head, who purred. Momo glared at the two of them. "Stop slacking!" She ordered. Yuzu chuckled as she flipped through several folders. Momo grumbled as she walked away with a file in her hand. "You two need to be more serious." She mumbled under her breath.

As she opened the door to leave, Sodoko rushed in, pushing Momo out of the way. "Hey!" Momo shouted but she stumbled her way in front of Anzu, panting heavily. She straightened up and saluted. "There's a problem down at the city hall." She exclaimed. Anzu raised her eyebrow. "Problem?" She asked. The Sodoko nodded. "There was a small protest in front of the Kuromorimine embassy, but it turned into a fight." She reported. "Things are getting out of hand." Anzu jumped up from the chair, throwing the bag of sweet dried potatoes on to the ground. "Deploy the Public Morals Security Force!" She ordered, referring to the police branch of the Public Morals Committee. These were the elite of the elite, trained to deal with all kinds of domestic situations. They were even called the secret police, who would use torture to put down opposition. While they were small in numbers, their quality proved to be superior.

Sodoko saluted again. "Yes, president." She turned around and left, leaving Yuzu and Momo shivering. "Is that…" Yuzu whispered, but Anzu shushed her. "Things are getting worse." She sat back down in her chair, picking up the bag of sweet dried potatoes. "We have to push through the obstacles in front of us."

 **Kuromorimine Embassy, Ooarai High School, 1:20 P.M.**

Rocks crashed through the windows, and shards of glass flew into the room. The half a dozen or so girls cowered underneath desks and behind walls as the entire embassy was assailed by different objects by the hundreds of girls besieging the building. "Won't help come?" One girl whimpered, holding her hands over her head. Another girl cradled her as she peeked over the window, looking at the mob before her. She flinched as a stone soared in front of her. "This could be a diplomatic incident." She muttered as her fingers crept onto her Luger pistol. The Kuromorimine embassador to Ooarai, Matsuura, or known by the strange nickname "Sangou" frowned when a voice from outside called out. "Come out!" It boomed, aided by a megaphone. "We demand you to come out and talk!"

Matsuura scowled. "How the hell does throwing rocks translate to talks?" She shouted. "All your doing is acting like a savage!"

"Don't be a hypocrite!" The voice thundered back. "Your school has attacked several neighbors. You have no right to have a say in what happens here!" Matsuura gripped her holster, out of nervousness and fear. These brutes were just waiting to break in and lynch them. She wondered why the crowd was so hostile in the first place; Kuromorimine and Ooarai never had any grievances in the past, on the contrary to be exact.

"You savages have no right to be in our school!" The voice blared. More rocks flew into the room. The Kuromorimine staff screamed as a firework landed right next to them. Matsuura watched in horror as the firework exploded, throwing bright sparks into the girl's faces. They shrieked in pain as the flares rocketed into their faces and bodies. Matsuura took out her Luger and fired through the broken window. She relished as the girls outside panicked and screamed. "You idiots!" She hollered as she stood up, taking cover behind the wall. "Do you want an international incident? This will not end up in your favor!"

"Of course we want one! We will join the war against Kuromorimine." The voice boasted. "You will not succeed in your inhumane conquests, and we will join in the spoils of destroying your brutal empire."

Matsuura's eyes widened as she heard shouts, and loud _booms_ resonating from the hallways. _They're trying to take down the doors!_ She realized. "Where the hell is the police in this place?" She exclaimed as she heard the doors crack under the pressure.

Kana stood at the porch of the embassy, grinning smugly at the sight before her. She and her hundreds of friends have now created a battering ram out of iron pipes and wooden logs, and were bashing against the door. She put her hands on her hips in satisfaction, content with her victory. She had gathered many of her friends and girls that supported the war against Kuromorimine and began a campaign against Kuromorimine. For the past few days they had been distributing propaganda and rumors. And now they were assaulting the embassy of the great enemy.

A crowd had assembled beyond the rabble of girls trying to break into the embassy, intrigued by the event, and many no doubt passively condoning them, hooting and whistling. Kana turned her head and saw all her support. The crying from inside only further made her smile. Soon, Kuromorimine would get the punishment it deserves.

Then there were the wails of sirens, and several armored cars and tanks appeared from the street corners, surrounding the mass of girls in front of the embassy. A small smirk grew on Matsuura's lips as she watched as dozens of Public Morals Security Force troops dismount from the armored cars, armed with batons and water cannons, while tanks fired smoke shells converged on the lynch mob.

The one thousand girls attempted to scatter, dropping the battering ram and projectiles, trying to blend into the panicked onlookers. The Public Morals Committee Security Force charge into the fray, knocking down girls with their blunt weapons and dragging them to the ground. Within minutes dozens were being handcuffed or were taken away unconscious.

Kana looked all around her and saw her friends being arrested and beaten down. She turned and ran, eager to escape this round-up. She pushed her way through a throng of civilians and was right about to turn a corner when white smoke engulfed her. She staggered back and covered her face with her arms.

The smoke dissipated, and in front of Kana sat a Panzer IV, its barrel smoking. To her horror, the hatch of the Panzer opened up and a girl with short light brown hair stared down at her. Kana's anger boiled over as Miho looked down at her with pitying eyes.

Kana knelt down and picked up a rock from the ground. Standing back up, she chucked it at Miho. But to her shock, Miho caught the rock as it shot straight towards her face. She pulled her arm back, rock in hand. She propelled her arm forward, and Kana's vision turned black.

 **Viggens High School, 3:38 P.M.**

Hundreds of workers bustled around the facility, loading hundreds of crates filled with iron bars. Right next to the biggest steel mill in the school, it was used to transport the steel to other schools, mainly Kuromorimine. It had a subway station and airport specially built to ship the ingredients to be built into rifles and tanks. Soldiers watched as the guards loaded the steel into the trains and cargo planes.

A girl in a guard's uniform walked around the compounds, looking around the place. She pulled down her hat, covering her pale face and black hair as several more guards walked past her chatting to each other. As they passed, the guards nodded to the girl, who smiled back in response. The girl sighed in relief when the guards passed the corner, and resumed surveying the area. She was quite nervous, being deep in hostile territory, scoping out an area she was fairly familiar with. She was not a guard of the compound, nor was she even a member of the Viggens school in the first place. She was a spy from Viking Fisheries, her mission to disrupt the trade between Kuromorimine and Viggens. Her hands were shoved into her pants as she searched for her target.

She stopped when she found it; a large garage building, with cranes loading tons of steel into humongous transports and workers running around. Whistling, she nonchalantly walked up the garage ramp and into the depot. She walked through the bustling workers, and behind a large container. She stopped when she was out of sight, peeking her head to make sure nobody was looking. At least nobody would hear; the shouts of workers and roaring of trucks all but masked her presence.

She dug into her shirt and took out a large plastic box, with little wires protruding out and a little timer ticking downwards; a bomb. Quickly she placed it against the container and scurried away. She rushed past the workers and guards and left the garage in a hurry, with nobody even batting an eye to her behavior.

She picked up her pace and ran out of the compound, shedding her uniform. She darted through the back and climbed through a hole in the wire fence. She stopped breathless when she was outside of the compound, looking back as she leaned against a tree.

Then a series of explosions erupted from within the facility. Gray smoke poured out from the garage, and bright flames rose up into the sky. The girl smiled. The bombs she had placed around the compound were not duds. The one by the fuel storage was especially effective in destroying the facility. The wails of sirens and shouting of people grew as they stampeded outside to avoid the fires and explosions. The girl twisted her hair into a ponytail, took off her shirt and pants, and put on a skirt. She ran over to the rear of a small building and took out a collapsable bike that she had prepared beforehand. She rode out of there, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

 **The City-state of Tokyo, 4:45 P.M.**

A little girl was sleeping in a chair, surrounded by numerous bear dolls. Wearing a colorful dress, long stockings and a long black ribbon on the side of her head. A beret too big for her sat above her hair. Her long, light blonde hair was draped over the armrests. Her relaxed face made small wheezing sounds as she slowly inhaled through her nose, and out her mouth.

There were several knocks at the door from across the room. "Commander?" The door slowly opened and three faces peered in. "Say, would you look at that?" The first one said, her glasses twinkling. "Never seen the commander with such a peaceful face." She muttered. The second one nearly squealed. "We should take a picture." She said. The third one slaps her head. "That's going to wake her up!" She hissed. The second girl grunted and backed down. "Come on, Azumi." She whimpered. "Shut up, Megumi." She growled.

"Stop arguing." The first girl snapped, pulling them both back. "Let's leave her alone." The three girls stepped away from the door and turned around. "I guess we should tell the commander another time." Megumi said. Azumi sighed. "You're right. Maybe we shouldn't even know of this, Rumi."

"But she is our commander. She leads Tokyo, so it is only natural she should be informed." Rumi grunted as the walked up the flight of stairs. "But she's only 11!" Megumi said. "I don't think she would be able to take it."

"She should be spared from all of this." Azumi muttered as the three stopped in front of a room, where two soldiers saluted and opened the doors. They walked into a large war room, complete with maps of Japan. "Kuromorimine is at war with all of their neighbors." Rumi said, looking at the maps. Azumi nodded. "And it seems they're winning." She added. "Anzio and Kebab are getting ready for a fight too." Megumi said.

"That'll just weaken everybody around us." Rumi grinned. Megumi began to chuckle. "The other schools won't even be able to try to attempt to stop us." She said. "They are already too weak to oppose us; this will only make our job easier." Azumi unrolled a map of Tokyo, with the surrounding schools of Ooarai, Tatenashi, Anzio, Kebab and Gallipoli all under the flag of the light blue flag of Selection University covering their territory. "Our power over Japan will soon be cemented, and our commander will rule unhindered." She sneered.

* * *

 **Hey! I am back with another chapter! School started just three days ago, so things are getting busy for me! Things are going to get much busier, so it will take a lot longer to finish the next chapters for the story. Thank you all for following this adventure, and I hope you continue to enjoy!**


	10. Clash of Armies

**Chapter Ten: Clash of Armies**

 **Shirataka, Bonple 9:21 A.M. August 16th**

The small plain had become the scene of a battlefield: trenches lined the field and hundreds of craters and potholes dotted the landscape. Tanks and cars drove around, supporting the infantry that were crawling out in the open.

For the Kuromorimine troops, the stubborn Bonple defense was a complete surprise. They thought they would crumble like all other opposition, but here they were on the verge of pushing Kuromorimine back for the time being.

The unteroffizier(sergeant) hit the dirt as half a dozen rifles opened up on her. She cursed as she fired her MP38-her submachine gun was almost useless in a long-range situation. A grenadier fell to the ground as a bullet hit her in the heart. The unteroffizier grunted as she crawled forward, pieces of dirt falling through her uniform and down her shirt. Sweat trickled down her face as she saw the figures a few hundred meters away taking potshots at her. She fired a burst of her smg in anger, only for the enemy to hop back down in their trenches.

The bodies around her piled up into a mountain. _What the hell?_ She thought in disbelief. _Why is this happening now? I thought we were close to beating them!_ Mortar shells plunged down into the dirt around her. She turned and saw a couple of Bonple soldiers run across a treeline. Standing up, she aimed and fired in their direction. After a short burst, satisfaction filled her as one soldier toppled over.

She dashed across the open ground, trying to avoid becoming a target for the enemy. She felt the air rush past as bullets raced her way.

She found a small ditch, where several riflewomen were taking cover. She dove in, rolling into the ditch. She knelt down in cover as the girls fired their Kar 98Ks.

"Damn, their firepower is too strong!" One girl exclaimed. She shoved a new magazine into her rifle and peered through the sights. Her head was thrown back as a bullet entered her temple, and she fell over.

"We can't hold them back!" Another wailed cowering in the ditch. The unteroffizier grabbed her. "Get a hold of yourself!" She said. She unbuckled a grenade and tossed it. It landed in the middle of the field, and exploded harmlessly. "Damn it." The unteroffizier muttered underneath her breath. She peeked over and watched the Bonple troops slowly advancing across the entire field.

The Panzer III led the platoon of armored vehicles across the plains, where dozens of vehicles from both sides spouted black smoke. The Panzer III commander watched from above the hatch the Bonple tanks and infantry advancing. "Spread out, don't let them break through here!" She ordered, and the Panzers fanned out to combat the threat. The Panzer Is began firing their MG34s, cutting down the Bonple infantry. The Panzer III commander spotted an FT-17 tank in her sights. "FT-17, two o'clock!" She shouted. The turret of the Panzer III creaked as it turned to face the light tank. "We got her in our sights, when can we fire?" The gunner asked. The commander grunted. "Fire when ready." She said.

The Panzer III rocked back, firing its KwK 36 L46/5 cannon. The FT-17 in front of it exploded, throwing chunks of steel into the air. "Woohoo, a direct hit!" The gunner shouted. "Good job." The radio operator of the Panzer III congratulated her. The gunner grinned. "My first kill! I can't believe it!" She exclaimed. "Looks like you're going to get another kill." The gunner remarked. "One 7TP, two TKS tankettes 10 o'clock!" The commander barked.

"We're outnumbered, should we fall back?" The driver asked. The commander shook her head. "No. There may be more than us but our gun is more than capable of taking them on." She replied quickly. The gunner licked her lips. "Okay. Here we go." She remarked. She aimed her gun at the first TKS, and fired. The TKS flipped over, and from its compartment smoke began spilling out. "Driver, make sure we don't get hit from the flank!" The gunner shouted. The driver nodded and began shifting gears and pulling levers, forcing the treads of the Panzer III to grind forward. The gun fired again, tearing a hole in the second TKS. The 7TP fired, but the shell hit the dirt in front of the Panzer III. The commander didn't move as the cloud of dust covered her vision. She sat back into her commander's seat and closed the hatch. "Let's clean this up." She said. The gunner chuckled as she targeted the final 7TP. She fired, and the shell sailed for the Bonple tank. The shell skimmed the side armor, and exploded behind it. The gunner mumbled incoherently as she corrected her aim.

The 7TP fired, and the Panzer III lurched forward as the shell hit the corner of the Panzer III. "Holy shit!" The gunner screamed. The commander scowled. "Driver, take us to the rear!" She hollered. The driver complied, throwing the Panzer forward. The Panzer III circled the 7TP, the gun pointing directly at the 7TP engine. "Fire!" The commander ordered, and the gunner fired the gun. After the loud roar of the gun, they heard the _clanging_ of metal. "I-I think I got her." The gunner stumbled. The driver peered through her vision slit. "Yeah, you got her good. That thing is a goner." She told her. The gunner sighed with relief. "Thank god." The commander smiled. "Good job, girls." She said.

The unteroffizier led the attack against the ridge, dozens of girls behind her with rifles in hands ran across the open field, being picked off by Bonple snipers and machine guns. She knelt down and squeezed the trigger, firing up the hill. A Bonple girl's head jerked up, drops of blood spraying into the air. The sound of air being cut by bullets prompted her to dash to the foot of the hill. Several more girls wearing the standard Stahlhelms and field hats fired their rifles at the soldiers above, killing the defenders. They were about to stand up when an explosion rocked the top of the hill. A large brown mushroom cloud floated above them as the ground rocked. The unteroffizier ducked her head and watched the dust cloud dissipate. She crawled up the ridge and reached the top. She saw the field gun aim for her and jumped back as the barrel recoiled. She felt the explosion push her farther into the air, and she crashed back down on the hard grass. She rolled back onto her feet, and felt the tremble of the earth as a Panzer III rolled up the hill. It stopped at the crest, and fired at the field gun. The field gun was engulfed the cloud of dirt and when the air became clear again all remained was a small crater and an empty field gun.

The unteroffizier and the riflewomen crept up the hill to see the battle in its entirety. She could see tens of thousands of little specks moving around in the vast field, soldiers from both sides fighting each other. Tanks represented by tiny blocks shot little puffs of smoke, and pillars of black smoke wafted up into the sky. White trails in the sky indicated a fierce dogfight in the heavens, with the occasional aircraft being shot down and the pilot ejecting from her destroyed plane.

The unteroffizier stared down in wonder. _This battle is way bigger than I thought,_ She thought in amazement. She reloaded her MP38 and prepared for the platoon of Bonple infantry to counterattack from below. A girl set up an MG34 and began to pour down fire on the enemy platoon. She flicked her head up and saw the unmistakable shape of a grenade sailing above them.

"Take cover!" She screamed as she dove down, hands above her head. The next a loud _boom_ drowned out her ears and felt chunks of earth land on her. She looked around her and saw several dead girls sprawled across the hill, staring unblinkingly. She stood back up and was face-to-face with a Bonple girl with a rifle. She lowered her rifle towards the unteroffizier's face but she was too late. The unteroffizier raised her MP38 and pulled the trigger, and bullet holes snaked up the girl's body. The unteroffizier smashed the butt of her smg into the girl's face, and she fell down like a puppet who lost its owner. The unteroffizier stepped forward and continued to fire her gun, taking down several more enemy soldiers. A girl next to her shot her K98, pulling her bolt back. In that instant she was thrown back by the bullet that hit her right in the chest. Blood splattered against the unteroffizier's uniform but she ignored it. The sounds of a Ckm wz. 30 machine gun tearing through bodies made her cringe and stay down low. _We're pinned!_ She groaned inside her own head. She poked her MP38 out and fired wildly down at the machine gun below, but a flurry of bullets forced her to retract her gun.

Then suddenly the entire hill was thrown up into the air. An artillery strike had honed in on the hill and disintegrated the entire position. After the huge mass of brown dust settled back into the ground, an empty crater was in the place of the hill.

Just a few hundred meters away, Koume and Kitayama sat anxiously as they heard the reports of the battle. "We're pretty outnumbered." Kitayama said. Koume sighed. "Yeah. They've managed to get over 60,000 troops, while we only have two divisions so far." She replied. "And our reinforcements are being bogged up by the damned enemy's flanking maneuvers. We can't even get air supremacy." She grumbled. "And our Panzers are being stopped by armor and anti-armor resistance." Kitayama added. "Our big advantage is our drawback this time."

"They also have semi-automatic rifles to combat our rifles and submachine guns. And we're getting pushed out of the small villages around the area." Koume exclaimed angrily. "We're at an disadvantage here!" She shouted. She put her face into her hands. "We're so close...why does this have to happen so close to the end?" She sniffled. "It's not fair."

"Don't worry. We will somehow manage." Eric entered, holding several reports. "The 12th and 31st regiments have been pushed back by a Bonple counterattack. The 50th suffered heavy casualties but pushed back what seemed to be a regiment-sized attack." He informed Koume, who looked up from her hands. "We can't lose here!" She moaned. "We've almost won!"

"And we will." Eric said confidently. "We will beat them so hard they will capitulate after this battle." He smiled. Koume also put up a smile and stood up. "You're right." She stated. She jumped forward and hugged Eric tightly. Kitayama watched the two embrace with a grin on her face.

Two Bonple officers marched through the town, past the thousands of soldiers filing towards the battlefield. They walked into the village's government building, now being used as the Armia Yonezawa's HQ. They saluted as they entered through the doorway. "What is it?" A voice boomed from the end of the room. The two officers moved forward up to the desk, where a woman with chestnut hair in a dark brown uniform sat. "General Ruchanki, our forces are slowly pushing the enemy forces back." One officer reported. Ruchanki smiled. "Good. We have them right where we want them. This is no doubt their main force. This battle will decide the very outcome of this war, so we must not falter for even a second." She said with an air of confidence around her. "We must cut them off and surround them. Don't let their reinforcements arrive." She ordered. The officers nodded and left. Ruchanki leaned back in her seat. "I'll lose my head if I lose this one….Better make sure I don't screw this up." She muttered to herself.

The half a dozen Sdkfz. 251s rolled across the field, holding several dozen panzergrenadiers. One girl, just a obergrenadier(Private First Class) quivered in her seat, clutching her rifle. Her stahlhelm glistened against the harsh sunlight. Her glasses was foggy, and she had to take them off to wipe them. The faint sounds of gunfire and explosions came creeping closer as the halftracks continued to advance. She began hyperventilating, putting her back against the wall.

"Hey, don't be so scared." A soldier next to her said, putting her arm around her. "This is your first time, right?" She asked. The obergrenadier nodded. The soldier grinned. "Don't worry. It might be scary at first but you'll get used to it. It's not as bad as you think it is." She told the obergrenadier, who stopped shaking.

She yelped when the MG34 of the halftrack started to light up, firing away at an unseen enemy. "We're close to the battle now." The soldier next to her remarked. The other halftracks also stopped and their machine guns spat out tracers across the clear plains. The doors of the halftrack opened, and the steel-helmeted girls jumped out from the rear. "Come on!" The soldier urged the obergrenadier forward. Grasping her K98, she stumbled out of the halftrack and gazed at the battlefield. "Don't stop, keep moving!" The soldier shouted, and the obergrenadier dashed into the open.

She was immediately under fire; bullets zipped by her face, causing her to crouch down as she ran alongside her comrades. She raised her rifle up to her face and searched for an enemy, but found none as she scanned the horizon.

There was a loud _Krafoom_ behind her as the halftrack she was on moments before exploded. She turned around and saw the flaming wreck behind her. It took moments for her to figure out what was going on, with the whistling of shells and roaring of explosions. "Artillery bombardment!" The soldier next to her screamed as she dove to the ground. The obergrenadier's vision was instantly engulfed by brown dirt and grass and she closed her eyelids to stop the dust from going into her eyes.

The bombardment seemed to last for an eternity. The obergrenadier kept her eyes glued shut as the storm raged around her. At last everything went quiet, and she slowly opened her eyes. All the halftracks were in ruins, with the wheels lying uselessly on the ground. Several girls were also on the grass, their legs ripped out from their torsos and intestines hanging out from their open guts. They moaned in excruciating pain as they thrashed around in their own blood. Medics were running around, trying to save their wounded comrades. The stench was overwhelming for the obergrenadier, who bent down and vomited. A soldier patted her on the back, comforting her. "It looks like we'll have to go on foot from now on." She said bitterly.

 **Anzio High School, 10:30 A.M.**

Anchovy marched down the hallway flanked by two soldiers. She walked down to the white doors at the end of the hall. She stopped and let the soldiers open the doors for her. Saluting them, she walked into the room.

Sitting in the chair was Erika, quietly reading a book. She looked up when Anchovy made her entrance. "Took you long enough." She said, closing the book shut as she stood up. "I have things to do. I can't help it if my schedule gets messy." Anchovy replied as she shook Erika's hand. Erika smiled. "It's fine. I'm a patient person." She sat back down, and Anchovy took her seat from across her.

"So, what do you want from me today?" Anchovy asked as she leaned back in her cushiony chair. "I'm sure you're busy conducting your war in Bonple and Gregor."

"The commander and I want to make sure you have your priorities straight." Erika answered bluntly, and Anchovy bit her lip. "What does that mean?" She growled. Erika raised your eyebrows. "Whoa, no need to be so defensive. We just want to make sure you're going to keep your commitment to the Iron Front." She hastily backtracked. Anchovy groaned. "Of course I am. Don't worry, we're just mobilizing our armies as we speak. We can't go headlong into war without being prepared, can we?" She said. "We've set up defensive perimeters across the border with Kebab."

"Good. That's all we needed to hear." Erika sighed in relief. "Our war against Jajka and Boleslava is going extremely well right now. Our southern frontier is well defended, and the Maternal Alliance isn't going to breakthrough there."

"You're winning against everybody!" Anchovy laughed. "I want to have some military victories myself."

"Then you better hurry up before we beat everybody." Erika teased. Anchovy grinned. "We'll conquer everything south of us." She boasted. "Nobody will be able to stop us."

A girl came in with two cups of coffee. Anchovy and Erika gladly took them and continued their conversation.

 **Viking Fisheries High School, 11:19 A.M.**

Oslofjord was quite shocked to get a call from Loki. She hesitantly answered the phone and put it up to her ear.

" _Hello, Oslofjord. Thank you for picking up, we have something very important to discuss._ " Loki's tone was awfully cold and formal. "What is it?" Oslofjord tentatively answered. " _I think you know what it is._ " Loki's icy voice made Oslofjord tremble. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand you." She replied. She heard a small smirk from the other side. " _That's not what Ester told us._ " Oslofjord froze when loki said that. "Wh-what?" She stuttered.

" _Do you not remember? She was one of the spies you sent to sabotage our facilities. She destroyed our largest warehouse, and the explosion killed 13 workers. Because of your terror attacks over 100 people died, and over 3,000 lost their jobs or their ability to work."_ Loki hissed. Oslofjord began to sweat. "I-I-I-"

" _It seems you're not good at lying. That makes it easier for me. Let me make things clear; we will not let this blatant attack on our borders go unpunished. We will execute all 20 spies that you have smuggled into our school this evening, and will roundup all transfer students from your school for anti-terror and anti-state protocols. We will retaliate for the lives you've put out and destroyed. Do not try to stop us."_ Loki warned. " _If you do decide to intervene, things will go bad for you…"_

"Do not threaten me like this!" Oslofjord exploded with anger. "You will not lay a finger on my students. If you do the wrath of the Maternal Alliance will be upon you!" She screamed. "You act like a tyrant, and so we shall treat you like one! We will overthrow you."

There was a pause from the other side. " _So you made your decision."_ Loki said finally. Oslofjord went rigid. "What does that mean?" She sputtered out. " _Do not worry, I accept your challenge. I warn you, I will give no mercy."_ Loki chuckled before the line went dead. Oslofjord stared at the beeping phone with wide eyes, horrified at what just happened.

 **Ooarai High School, 2:36 P.M.**

A member of the Public Morals Committee walked down the hallway of cells, slinging the rifle across her shoulder. She stopped when she saw the cell she was looking for. Digging her hand into her pocket, she took out a set of keys. She shoved the key into the keyhole and turned. With a loud _creak_ the door swung open. The guard took her rifle and pointed it into the cell. "Come on, get out." She ordered, motioning with her rifle. The figure inside the cell stirred awake from her steel cot. "Fine, fine." She mumbled. She stood up and shambled towards the guard. The guard and Kana walked back upstairs, where the president was waiting.

Kana was joined by several of her friends, who were all in the same position as she was. They were unsure of where they were going, and nervous and scared. The guards pushed them towards a small black door, and they hesitantly went in.

They were met with a grinning Anzu, sitting with her legs crossed on the desk. Momo and Yuzu stood silently behind her, looking down at the floor. "Hey!" Anzu cheerfully called. Kana and her friends felt their jaws drop to the floor. "President?" Kana asked in disbelief. Anzu nodded. "That's me." She replied.

"Oh my god! I always wanted to meet you!" Kana shrieked, going into fangirl mode. Her friends stood frozen, confused by this turn of events. They looked behind her, and their eyes widened when they saw Sodoko in front of the door, glaring at them. They looked towards Kana, who was all Anzu's.

"You are such an inspiration to me!" Kana told Anzu, who stood up and walked up to her. She almost fainted when Anzu took her hand. "Aw, I'm not that good." She laughed humbly. Kana jumped up and down. "You are the best, I can't even describe how happy I am!" She began to wipe her eyes, which were slowly being filled with tears. Anzu was taken aback, and almost broke her facade. This truly was a compliment to her, no matter who the person saying it was. She almost felt guilty for what she was about to do.

"I heard so much about you. You're the top of your classes right?" Anzu asked, throwing her arm over Kana's shoulder. Kana nodded. "Yup. I'm working really hard, you know? I have my entire life figured out." She squealed. Anzu smiled. "That's good to hear." She said. She looked over Kana's shoulder. "What about your friends?" She asked. Kana turned her head, to see her friends looking around nervously. "They're just too shy!" She exclaimed. Her friends jumped up when they were mentioned. They just nodded frantically and looked down at the floor.

"President…" Anzu turned around, and saw Yuzu stepping forward. She was sweating and looked anxious. Anzu waved her back. "Don't worry, don't worry." She said. "It's all going to be fine." Yuzu stepped back and Anzu whirled around to face Kana. "What was that?" Kana asked obliviously. "Oh, it's nothing." Anzu brushed it off. "So, do you value your friends?"

Surprised by this odd question, Kana took a minute to answer. "Yes, of course. They are everything to me."

"So do I." Anzu agreed. "I wouldn't be here without them. I'm in debt to them."

Kana's eyes glittered. "That is so wonderful." She sang out. "Especially Miho. Without her none of us would be here." Anzu exclaimed. "Yeah, without-" Kana froze. "What?" She squeaked out. Her friends behind her all took a step back, and Yuzu and Momo watched with unease.

"Yes. Nishizumi Miho." Anzu's tone had become low and aggressive. "She is a dear friend of mine. And I heard of what you did to her." She growled. Kana's eyes widened. "I-I-but-um-" She stuttered. "She-she's an-"

Despite being much smaller than Kana, Anzu grabbed her by her brown hair and threw her over her own shoulder. Kana emitted a small cry as she landed on the hard floor. "What?" She started, but Anzu kicked her stomach. She was thrown back to the wall, and Anzu stormed up to her and continued to kick her on the ground. "Don't! You! Dare! Treat! Miho! That! Way!" She screamed, her face contorted with rage. "How dare you! She saved our school twice! And this is how you repay her? She did nothing to you, nothing! Even after you did so much to her she still has enough heart to not despise the likes of you! Even after you called her such horrible names she's still willing to be friends with you!" She got down and grabbed Kana by the hair, and started slamming her face against the wall. Kana wailed as blood splattered against the wall. "President!" Momo and Yuzu grabbed Anzu, but she swatted them away. "Don't touch me!" She hollered, and the two retreated, terrified of this new president. Kanas friends watched with horrified expression as Anzu mercilessly took out her anger.

Anzu pounded her fist against Kana's face, giving her a black eye and several bruises. Kana tried to push her off, but Anzu was too powerful. "How could you? How could you do this to her? She's such a nice person!" Anzu also began to cry, shouting in between sobs. "How could you? How could you?" Her movements slowed, and both girls crumpled to the floor. Sodoko was able to run over and drag Anzu away from Kana. Anzu, with all her strength, spat on the whimpering Kana, whose friends ran over to her and picked her up.

"Get them out of here." Anzu ordered, pointing to the door. She leaned on Yuzu, and began to cry softly into her. Sodoko watched Kana and her friends shamble out of the room.

"Are you alright?" Kana's friends asked her, touching her bloody face. They were shocked when she straightened up, her face seething with anger. "That...little...bitch…I'll...fucking...get...her…I swear…." She growled as her friends carried her through the hallway.

 **Gregor High School, 4:42 P.M.**

The small village was overwhelmed by heavy fire. Kuromorimine forces tried to cross the river, but they were saturated by defensive fire from the bridge and the opposite riverbank. Artillery shells rained upon the Kuromorimine troops, while machine guns and field guns mowed them down from behind sandbags. Panzers clambered up the hill onto the dirt path leading to the bridge, followed by dozens of panzergrenadiers.

The Gregor soldier swore as bullets whizzed past her while she reloaded her ZB vz. 26 light machine gun. She quickly returned fire, taking down three girls with submachine guns. She ducked behind the sandbags, clutching her lmg. Catching her breath, she looked to the other side of the rickety wooden bridge and saw three riflewomen with vz. 33 bolt action rifles pouring fire into the soldiers caught in the open. The soldier knelt back up and pulled the trigger. The lmg kicked back into her shoulder with each burst, with dirt being thrown up as bullets dug into the ground. Empty bullet cases _clanked_ when they landed on the ground around her. She watched the Kuromorimine soldiers quickly advancing upon her, leaving behind shot down comrades behind them. Girls with MG34s started to blast away at her position, forcing her to crouch down. The three girls across from her fell one by one, dropping their rifles and going limp. Deciding this position was too dangerous to keep defending, she turned around and dashed under the gunfire, crossing the bridge back into the friendly village.

As she hopped over the sandbags on the near side of the bridge she felt a jolt in her leg, and tumbled down down the bridge. She tried to get up, but pain shot up her leg, and she crumpled down again. She looked at her leg, and saw the bullet hole, and the blood that was pouring out. She cried out in pain, and began to crawl towards safety. A tall girl ran up to her and picked her up, turned around and sprinted full speed while Kuromorimine riflewomen aimed for her back from the top of the bridge.

The Kuromorimine troops climb over the bridge, claiming it for themselves. A grenadier fired her K98 rifle at the window with the girl with the rifle, and grinned when the girl fell out of the window. "Advance!" The officer shouted, and she and the other soldiers got up and scampered across the wooden bridge. Tiny chips flew by the grenadier's face as she dove towards the sandbags.

She crashed into the sandbags, her back being slammed to a halt. She glanced over the sandbag and saw the three LT vz. 34 light tanks groaning in the middle of the road, preparing for a counterattack. They fired their 37 mm ÚV vz.34 guns at the bridge, and the Kuromorimine infantry scattered as shells burst above them. The LT vz. 34 tanks climbed up the bridge, pushing the soldiers back. The grenadier just only had enough time to stumble away from the sandbags as the first LT vz. 34 showed its hull. The clapping of machine guns engulfed the girl, and the tracers bounced off the bridge's steel girders. She took out a grenade from her belt and tossed it behind her. She heard the explosion, and hoped the light tank was disabled. Her dream was crushed as a shell roared past her, and exploded in the forest several hundred feet in front of her.

"Alright, let's get this over with!" The Panzer III commander exclaimed, and the Panzer III drove down the forest path. Behind her were two more Panzer IIIs, five Panzer IIs, and three Panzer Is, here to reinforce the Kuromorimine attack. The bridge was getting closer, and the Panzer III commander readjusted her cap. _My debut in combat! Oh, how I was waiting for this moment!_

"Commander, enemy tank on the bridge, right ahead of us." The driver informed her. The commander grunted. "Alright, they're just over 200 metres in front of us. We can get them." She said. "Alrighty." The gunner shouted, turning the gun right at the LT vz. 34's turret. "Fire." The commander ordered, and the barrel recoiled as it shot out a billow of smoke. The shell tore through the turret, and the light tank went silent.

"Good job!" The commander grinned. The Panzer III groaned as it advanced up the bridge. They pushed past the empty LT vz. 34 tank and was face-to-face with the second LT vz. 34, who slowly retreated back to its own lines. It fired, but the shell only brushed past the Panzer III. The gunner of the Panzer III chuckled. "You think that's going to do anything?" She licked her lips as she squeezed her finger. With a deafening _boom_ the LT vz. 34 flipped over onto its back, the surviving crew squirming out from underneath. "Let's advance." The Panzer III commander said. The Panzer III moved forward, crossing the entirety of the bridge. The Gregor troops ran from the river line and into the village. The Kuromorimine soldiers pick up their weapons and cross the bridge.

The Panzer III led the column of troops, with nearly two dozen girls walking behind it. This pattern was repeated with the other Panzers as well. There were also armored halftracks carrying panzergrenadiers followed suit. The Kuromorimine convoy crawled on the main road, flanked by buildings and houses, which were strangely quiet. It was as if the Gregor defenders had abandoned their positions. They marched along, nearly two hundred girls and two dozen Panzers and halftracks clumped together.

The Panzer III commander put the cigarette in her mouth, and exhaled. _The enemy really did retreat after all that,_ she thought. _Making things easier for us._ She leaned back against the hatch. She looked around, and her eyes narrowed. It was quiet, too quiet for her comfort. She threw the cigarette on the ground and clambered into her tank. The other Panzer commanders kept their heads outside, taking in the nice view of the little town.

From the shadows of the alleyways the soldiers watched the Kuromorimine troops walk past them, grasping their ZK-383 submachine guns and ZH-29 semi-automatic rifles. From the three story coffee shop the snipers and heavy machine gun position remained hidden from the outside view, and girls with rifles waited behind cars, walls and pillars. Tanks, tankettes and field guns were behind the buildings. Mortar crews lay on their stomachs on the rooftops, waiting for the signal to launch their attack. As the procession of soldiers marched past one particular alleyway the 4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38 field gun slowly crawled forwards, waiting for the first tank to appear.

A Panzer III did appear in the view of the alleyway, and the crewmembers tensed as the chassis showed itself. When the entire entrance of the alleyway was covered by the body of the Panzer III, the 4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38 fired.

The shell tore into the Panzer III, killing the crew inside within seconds. As the Panzer III stopped moving, the entire Gregor trap was sprung. Submachine gunners sprung out of the shadows and began spraying the shocked Kuromorimine infantry down. From the ground floors of the houses and buildings girls with rifles popped up and covered the main road with gunfire. Even more field guns spawned, taking aim at the lumbering Panzers. The ZB-53 machine gun position rose up in the third-story of the coffee shop, mowing down the open spaces of the halftracks and the soldiers below. Snipers picked off officers and Panzer commanders. Mortar teams rose from the roofs, raining down shells and bombs on the already panicked enemy.

Entire squads were wiped out in their halftracks, their bodies slumping together and blood spraying into the air. The entire road was paved with blood and guts, corpses gunned down by the merciless ambush. One by one the Panzers were destroyed, machine gun fire sliced the commanders of the Panzers into pieces, thereby getting rid of the Panzer's ability to properly fight in combat. Girls fired their MP38s and MG34s wildy into the buildings and alleyways, trying to suppress the enemy attack. Grenades were thrown all over the place, blowing up both Gregor and Kuromorimine soldiers into the air. Girls took cover against the charred ruins of halftracks and tanks, firing their Kar98s.

The grenadier cried as the bullets crashed around her. She dove to the ground, trying to avoid the chaotic crossfire. She aimed her K98 against a Gregor soldier armed with a vz. 24 bolt action rifle in the window of a building across from her. She fired, and the stock of the rifle pushed against her. She pulled the bolt back, ejecting the bullet case. Her target dropped her rifle, and crumpled down from view. She turned around and saw the barrel of a ZK-383 pointing directly at her head. She quickly ducked her head as a flurry of bullets whizzed past above her. Her rifle at her hip, she fired at the submachine gunner. The bullet bit into the submachine gunner's hip, taking a chunk out of her body. The submachine gunner collapsed, the submachine gun firing uncontrolled as her finger was still tightly squeezed against the trigger.

The ZB-53 machine gun fired away, still cutting down the infantry below. The machine gunner sneered while she continued to grip her hands around the handles. _Those idiots actually fell for the trap!_ The hundreds of bullet cases flew out of the MG, while the MG belt quickly grew shorter. She swiveled her machine gun around, slicing down any soldier that had the misfortune to put herself as a target. The snipers in the other room were also having a grand old time, taking their time peering through their scopes and pulling the trigger, putting tiny red holes into the heads of many soldiers.

"Shit! Where do we shoot? What the fuck?" The girls in the Panzer III panicked as bullets _pinged_ off the armor of the tank. The commander swore loudly as she sat in her seat. The machine gun and snipers in the building are giving the infantry a hard time, but the field guns are now turning their barrels towards her right at this moment. "Gunner, destroy the 4,7cm KPÚV vz. 38s!" She ordered. The gunner nodded and turned the gun to the alleyway, where a field gun was reloading. The gunner grunted as she fired the gun, and the crew of the field gun ran as it exploded. She gave out a small cheer as she cranked the turret to face the ZB-53 machine gun in the coffee shop. The entire upper half of the building was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. The coffee shop collapsed onto itself. "Another problem solved." The commander noted.

A Gregor soldier repeatedly pulled the trigger of her ZH-29 SLR, pumping out bullet after bullet into the throng of enemies in front of her, each one making a bloody mark. This was all too easy for her and her comrades. The overconfident enemy had marched right into their deaths. She reloaded her SLR and resumed shooting out from her window. Bullets split heads in two, brain and skull spilling onto the brick road.

Even as the Kuromorimine force was getting slaughtered, more reinforcements poured in from the bridge. Eventually they pulled themselves together and counterattacked. They sallied forth, using their smgs, grenades and mgs to pushed their way out of the ambush. Panzergrenadiers flooded into the alleyways, where the Gregor defenders tried to hold them back. Scurrying around like rats, the alleyways soon became a furious war zone, the walls became smeared with blood. Field guns blasted soldiers into bits and pieces. Kuromorimine girls stormed the houses and buildings, tossing their grenades inside before kicking down the door and storming inside. Panzers crash into buildings, crushing the defenders from the weight of the walls and the treads of the tanks. Each room, each stairwell and each street became a battlefield in it of itself.

The grenadier slammed the butt of her rifle against the wooden door like a battering ram, each hit denting the door even more. Soldiers piled behind her, reloading their smgs and rifles, with one taking out a grenade. As the grenadier continued to rammed the door down, there were a series of cries from the inside. "Please don't hurt us!" The door broke down and the grenadier stepped in, only to find in the corner of the room a group of women and children trembling in the corner.

By the early night the fight was over: the remainder of the Gregor soldiers surrendered to the Kuromorimine troops. They gathered, along with the civilians of the village, some 1,400 of them in the village square. Kuromorimine girls watched them with a wrathful gaze; especially the survivors of the traumatic incident. Out of the two hundred soldiers that fell into the ambush, nearly half of them were killed, the rest wounded either physically or mentally. The streets were paved with corpses and blood, along with the dozen or so Panzers and halftracks in ruins. The survivors grab their weapons and advance upon the civilians and prisoners. Enraged, they turn their guns on the defenseless people. In a massacre unheard of before, the Kuromorimine gunned them down in an infuriated state. Girls with MG34s mowed them down like grass, while officers with pistols executed individuals with a shot to the back of the head. Infantrywomen beat men and boys to death with their rifles, using bayonets and butts to murder them. Panzer Is rolled over prisoners, crushing their bodies.

The reinforcements watched the survivors butcher the Gregor civilians and prisoners. While some tried to stop them, many joined in the carnage while most watched with interest. They rounded up random civilians and began hanging them from the trees. Prisoners were lined up by the Kuromorimine troops and gunned down into makeshift ditches. The prisoners and civilians begged for mercy towards their captors, but it was all for naught as they were being slaughtered.

The grenadier stood with her rifle aimed her rifle at the woman groveling at her feet. "Please, please let me live!" She pleaded to the grenadier. She kicked the women in the stomach and shot her. The woman's abdomen was ripped in two, her guts spilling out. The grenadier immediately realized what she had done and collapsed on the ground.

After when most of the civilians and prisoners were murdered a senior Kuromorimine officer came storming over, ranting and screaming about the ethics of war. After a few shots into the air with her Luger, the soldier scattered. But the damage was already done. One survivor, just a child, escape back to Gregor lines just to spread the tale of the atrocity.

 **Viggens High School, 6:19 P.M.**

The sun was setting against the horizon, casting an orange ray across the green field. There were twenty wooden posts poking out from the ground, with twenty girls tied to them accordingly. White bandanas were tied around their eyes, making them blind as the kneeled. Forty uniformed soldiers stood silently, rifles at their sides. They watched the girls struggled to get out of their predicament.

An officer stepped forward, her stern face staring at the prisoners in front of her. "For the act of terrorism against the school and the murder of over 100 students, I hereby condemn these foreign spies to execution by firing squad!" She shouted. She raised her arm. "Get ready!" She bellowed, and the forty soldiers simultaneously aimed their bolt action rifles against the 20 doomed girls. The girls squirmed against their posts in a desperate attempt to live for a few more seconds. Some cried, tears rolling out of the bandanas, while some were silent, accepting their fate.

"Fire!" The officer hollered as she lowered her arm. Forty gunshots rang out, and twenty bodies jerked around as they were punctured by bullets. They stopped writhing, and slumped down, blood trickling down the wooden posts.

 **Osaka, United Front, 9:21 P.M.**

The hundreds of fires lit the city up in a painting of red and orange in an otherwise dark night. Plumes of smoke blotted out the clear sky. Colorful tracers raced against the streets, and the rattling of machine guns and roaring of tanks echoed throughout the night. The whistling of artillery bombarded entire blocks.

Mengjiang watched in dismay from her tower as the southern part of the city burned to the ground. Her eyes were hollow and her face was pale. Her small figure was slumped down and her clothes were crinkled up. She stumbled down into a chair, exhausted. This battle was going very badly for her. Her 4th Army, though outnumbering the Chi-ha-Tan invaders nearly 4-to-1, they were ill-equipped to fight the modern enemies. Her armored forces were hopelessly outclassed against the lightly armored tanks of Chi-ha-Tan.

Grumbling to herself, she stood up and walked over to a cabinet. She threw the doors open, and rummaged through the cabinet until she pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Grabbing a shot glass, she stumbled back to her chair. She tore the cap off of the bottle and poured herself a drink. This job was taking a much too heavy toll on her. Why Zhejiang pushed her to resist her was a wonder-why she relented was another question that nagged at the back of her head. She tossed her head back and swallowed the shot of whiskey, her long hair reaching the carpeted floor. After pouring three more shots for herself, she decided the shot glass was unnecessary. She threw the shot glass behind her, and the glass shattered against the wall. She began chugging the entire bottle, each gulp making her feel better by the minute. She then turned angry, angry at Zhejiang for this basically suicide mission and angry at herself for letting the enemy advance this far.

"General!" Mengjiang turned her head and saw a staff officer running towards her. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I~can't do~this anymore~" Mengjiang slurred angrily, waving the bottle of whiskey like a child. She tried to swat the staff officer away, but the bigger girl put her in a bearhug. "Stop it~" Mengjiang ordered but the staff officer ignored it. "You stop it, general. You can't start drinking now." She told her. Mengjiang hanged her head low. "Why does this have to happen to me?" She asked in a low voice as the staff officer picked her up. "What?" The staff officer said. Mengjiang looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "Why do I have to be put in such a position? My girls are being slaughtered on the ground and I can't do anything about it!" She wailed. "I can't set up a defensive position without it being broken through! There's not even enough food and supplies for us. It's only a matter of time before we all die." She whimpered. The staff officer began stroking her hair as she carried her out of the room. "You just need some sleep, general." She whispered.

 **Viking Fisheries High School, 11:51 P.M.**

Oslofjord and her staff officers sat in the room, staring at the maps with troubled looks on their faces.

"Viggens sure is becoming a problem." One girl noted. Oslofjord nodded. "Yes, they are a thorn on our side and are getting extremely aggressive these last few days." She agreed solemnly. A girl crossed her arms. "How will we deal with them?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

Oslofjord stood up. "Girls!" She shouted, and everybody whirled their faces to look at her in astonishment. "I have decided we will embark on a military campaign against Viggens!" She proclaimed. The girls around her dropped their jaws. "What?" One exclaimed. "But we have little to no-" Another one stuttered out, but Oslofjord interrupted. "I know I know. That is why we must take the initiative. I have also gotten guarantees from Keizoku and Yogurt incase we suffer a defeat from them. With three schools surrounding them, Viggens will not be able to mount a defense." She explained. The rest of the girls looked at each other with worried expressions. "Are you sure that is a good idea?" One asked. Oslofjord cleared her throat. "I know you are worried. I understand. But we are in a dangerous situation. Is there any other way to solve our problems? I say no, action is the only way. We will quickly overwhelm their borders and take their capital city. We will make them sue for peace and send them harsh terms for their arrogance." She sat down in her seat. "I believe God is on our side." She declared boldly. The other girls smiled and saluted her. "Of course. We will do our utmost best to achieve victory."

* * *

 **Hey, VSauce, Michael here! JK it's just me. Another chapter finally done! Things are getting even more intense between Viggens and Viking Fisheries, and the battle between Bonple and Kuromorimine is at its peak. It's either victory or defeat, so they will do anything to win the ultimate battle.**

 **And now Kuromorimine committed the first war crime so far in the story. Unfortunately, things will even get more brutal for the non-combatants and prisoners.**

 **Now, how do you all like this series? Is there a particular thing that grabs your interest? Is there a character you have an eye for? Is there something you don't like or don't understand? Is there something I can improve on? PM or reviews are always appreciated. Thank you for reading and until next chapter, Panzer Vor!**


	11. Birth of the Yellow Lotus

**Chapter Eleven: Birth of the Yellow Lotus**

 **Hirano Ward, Osaka, United Front, 8:48 A.M.**

The hundreds of Chi-ha-Tan soldiers huddled together in the ditch that ran across the dilapidated street. The artillery rumbled behind them, and tanks rolled up to the ditch. Planes buzzed overhead, dropping bombs and flying low to deliver a burst of cannon fire. They ducked when explosions rocked the ground, and a large cloud of smoke showed itself from the cross section of the street just a few hundred metres away.

One girl fixed her field hat over her head, and reloaded her Type 99 rifle. Her officer took out her Shin Guntō and stood at the edge of the trench. "Women!" She shouted. "This will be our final attack! We will breakthrough the enemy formation and capture this city once and for all!" The girls cheered and raised their weapons in the air. The officer faced forwards. "Prepare to advance!" She hollered. The infantry attached their bayonets onto their rifles. Type 92 Heavy machine guns began sputtered out bullets, forcing the Blue Tiger troops to take cover. The entire street was sprayed was covered by bullets, digging into every wall and shattering every window.

"Charge!" The officer screamed, stepping over the ditch. With a loud bellow the mass of Chi-ha-Tan girls jumped out and scrambled forwards. Type 95 Ha-Gos fired their machine guns as they advanced alongside the infantry.

The girl's boots crunched as she stormed over the pebbles and dirt, sprinting full speed with her rifle out in front of her. She bit her lip as friends around her fell down, being shot down by Blue Tiger defenders. Bullets whizzed past her, but she continued on. She leapt over a small crumbling wall and rolled onto the rubble-filled road. Hot blood splattered onto her face. She got back up and scrambled forwards.

The Blue Tigers desperately tried to push the oncoming horde back, but they were getting low on ammunition. They had to conserve their ammo, trying to make each shot count. One by one the machine guns spat out their last bullets, and field guns fell silent. The defenders braced themselves as the tsunami of Chi-ha-Tan girls crashed into them, waving bayonets and swords.

The tidal wave surged into the Blue Tiger defense, their weapons waving and guns blazing. One girl screamed as the Shin Guntō was plunged into her stomach. A bayonet split the head of a soldier open, the skull and brain spilling out. A Chi-ha-Tan officer swung her Guntō, and one defender's head's was flung into the air. She jumped over the barricade and jabbed the machine gunner's face. She pushed the body away and pushed through, followed by throngs of infantrywomen. Girls armed with Type 100s sprayed bullets across the road, gunning down several soldiers.

They poured through the broken hole in the defense. The entire road was covered with explosions and tracers. Bodies piled higher as Chi-ha-Tan pressed the attack. The Blue Tigers holed themselves up in the buildings, firing down at the enemies below. A Type 97 Shinhoto fired up at the several story buildings, destroying entire floors. They crawled through the streets, still taking fire from above.

One group of soldiers, led by an officer carrying the flag of Chi-ha-Tan poised to swarm the tall building. Some armed with Type 99 LMGs began firing into the windows and doors. The officer grasped the hilt of her Guntō. "Alright women, we're going to charge in...5...4...3...2…" She counted down, and the soldiers all prepared to attack.

Suddenly from the window of the first floor waved a white flag of surrender. "Wait! Hold your fire!" The officer raised her hand, and the machine gunners let go of the trigger. The door opened, and a tall woman walked out with her hands over her head. She stopped in front of the officer. "General Mengjiang requests a ceasefire to discuss surrender." She announced.

Back in the Army headquarters, Ikeda and Hosomi were pouring through military reports, casualty lists and maps of Osaka. Ikeda wiped her forehead. "Taking this city is much easier than we expected." She muttered. "Projected casualties were over 30,000 but we only reached the 11,000 mark."

"How many enemies did we take out?" Hosomi asked. Ikeda shrugged. "At least two divisions." She replied. "Its thanks to our tanks and air support." She said. "Right about that." Hosomi nodded in agreement.

"Commanders!" A short girl burst through the door. "What is it?" Hosomi demanded, looking at the panting girl. She looked up. "The Blue Tiger general wants to negotiate terms." She gasped out. Ikeda and Hosomi glanced at each other. "Alright, just what we needed." Ikeda said. "Tell all troops to pull back for the time being."

 **Two hours later**

Osaka was silent; for the first time the city was devoid of killing as both sides adhered to the ceasefire. The soldiers of the Blue Tigers, knowing they are on the losing side, began surrendering to the Ci-ha-Tan soldiers in growing numbers.

Ikeda and Hosomi stood outside of their headquarters, waiting for the general of the Blue Tigers to arrive. Hosomi fidgeted her fingers around. "Nervous?" Ikeda asked. Hosomi nodded. "She was our enemy for what-two weeks now?" She said. Ikeda grinned. "She gave us one hell of a time, I'll tell you that."

A black car drove up to them, and a soldier stepped out of the drivers side. With a quick salute to the two generals, she opened the passenger door and the small petite figure of Mengjiang stumbled out. Her eyes went wide when she noticed Ikeda and Hosomi. "Ikeda-dono, Hosomi-dono!" She exclaimed. "Mengjiang?" Ikeda's jaw dropped. "What are you…" She faltered as Mengjiang took her hand. "It's been a long time." Mengjiang said. Hosomi smiled. "Come inside." She told her.

They were inside Ikeda's study, Mengjiang sitting with a cup of tea. "I did not expect our next reunion to be like this." She said slowly. "You are right with that one. It was around a year ago when you were part of the group that visited our school." Ikeda reminisced. Mengjiang nodded. "Yes. Zhejiang, our schools current leader and other students did visit one time. That Hunan was with us as well." She put her hand over her face. "Back then we were so close. What happened to us? Zhejiang, who was once our charismatic leader became a tyrannical military dictator. The little impressionable Hunan became with obsessed with Pravda's ideology, and now wants to fulfill her twisted dream of a paradise. Many others, such as the stoic Guangxi created their own cliques and plan to take power for themselves. And here I was, trying to be loyal to my school. We were friends once, but now we're all trying to backstab each other." She began to tear up, unable to contain her emotions. Hosomi patted her back. "I always had the impression that you were the most reasonable out of the lot." She reassured Mengjiang, who straightened up. "That was why the generalissimo begged me to defend Osaka. And I did. Not because of her, but because I was loyal to my school." Mengjiang stopped for a minute, before slumping down. "But where did that take me? 40,000 girls under my care are dead, and many more are in need of medical attention. All of our supplies are gone, and we've been without food for many days. We have no means of fighting anymore, half of this city is in ruins, and thousands of civilians are dead and the ones that are alive are stuck in here in miserable conditions." She exclaimed. "What was I thinking? I had no way of winning this fight, but my own pride and Zhejiang's pestering forced me to continue." She sniffled. "But no more. I'm finished. I can't do this anymore." She declared in a soft whisper.

"You made the right choice." Hosomi said. "There has been enough killing in this city."

"As a dear friend of ours, you may request anything from us." Ikeda told her, and Mengjiang shot up. "Please take care of my girls." She grabbed Ikeda's hand. "I don't want anymore of them to die." Ikeda smiled. "That can be done." She replied. "We can return you and your soldiers back to United Front, I'm sure Empress Nishi would allow it."

Mengjiang's face darkened. "I'm not sure of my girls, but I don't know if they will follow my lead." She muttered. "Excuse me?" Hosomi questioned. Mengjiang sighed. "I have given up on Zhejiang, to be completely honest. She relies on Key and Darjeeling, those vultures who would love to turn my school into their vassal. On the other hand, the Red Dragons led by Hunan are a mob of sociopaths in league with Pravda who will kill everybody not with them. My school is doomed." She turned and grabbed the collar of a surprised Hosomi. "Please, save my beloved school! Only Chi-ha-Tan is able to save us from self-destruction!" She wailed. "Only you have the strength to defeat both Hunan and Zhejiang! I want to help you in this endeavor in any way possible!"

Hosomi and Ikeda looked at each other. Hosomi gulped. "Okay. We will help you save your school." She said. "But how will you achieve your goal?" She asked in a suspicious tone. Mengjiang gasped. "I will raise my own army to aid your armies in the war and become your allies. I only request that any territory that you capture will become administered by me, to make my claims of liberating the school sincere."

Ikeda sat down next to Mengjiang. "We'll see what we can do." She said. Mengjiang grabbed her in a hug. "Thank you, thank you!" She cried, tears rolling down her face. Ikeda hugged her back. "We're friends. Of course we'll help."

 **Viggens-Viking Fisheries Border, 9:23 A.M.**

Oslofjord stood in front of the legions of soldiers. Thousands of girls in mountaingrey uniforms watched her gaze down at them. She sighed. It was time. Time was of the essence. She knew her forces were inferior, so she had to rely on speed and surprise to overwhelm Viggens' borders. But she was also relieved, for her allies in the south, Yogurt had decided to attack Viggens, forcing the enemy to split her forces. Keizoku will help Viking Fisheries if something goes wrong. Viggens will be overwhelmed h this coalition of schools.

"Girls! Today we will embark on a campaign that will surely result in our victory!" She hollered. "We will show them that we are not to be underestimated." the soldiers cheered and raised their Krag–Jørgensen rifles into the air. Oslofjord smiled. "I count on you girls to win this war. We will show that we can be useful to our allies, and show that we will protect our borders!" She shouted. "Advance!"

The drums began to beat and the soldiers marched in formation, lorries with girls raced on ahead while planes droned above. Oslofjord watched her army march forward with satisfaction. _This would be the day,_ she thought. _This will be the day Japan will acknowledge us for who we are!_

 **Kuromorimine High School, 11:38 A.M.**

Maho sat at her desk reading, using her downtime to finish a book she was itching to get through. Her eyes widened each time she flipped a page. _Oh my God-_ She thought. _I can't believe she would do that!_ Her eyes began to water as she felt the same emotions as the antagonist. _She doesn't deserve that-_

There was a knock at the door, and Maho shot up wiping her eyes quickly. Erika entered in, holding a letter. "Commander." She said, waving the letter. "It's from Anzu."

Maho snatched the letter and tore it open. "Commander?" Erika asked. Maho smiled. "Anzu and I have been in contact for quite some time now. We're still good friends even now." She told Erika. She unfolded the letter with overwhelming glee. Erika peered over her shoulder. 'What does it say?"

Maho began reading the contents, her eyes twinkled and her lips curling up into a smile. Then it flipped down to a worried frown as she read the chaotic situation the school found itself in, being unprepared for a theoretical war it doesn't need or want. "I guess everybody is affected by what's happening…" She muttered.

Her eyes froze when she scanned the bottom of the letter. She let out a gasp and crumpled into her chair. Her hand was over her mouth. "I-I can't believe it." She choked out. "I can't believe this." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "How could they do that?"

Erika rushed over to to Maho. "Commander, what's on the letter. She took the letter and quickly looked through it. Her eyes grew sharp and she scowled even deeper. Her body shook with rage. "What the hell is wrong with her?" She growled. "That bitch."

"I wouldn't have minded if they call me names, if they hate me. But to attack Miho like that…" Maho exclaimed. "She is such a nice girl. How could somebody treat her that way?"

"Does that bitch not know Miho saved her school?" Erika grumbled. She threw the letter onto the floor. Maho put her head against her hands. "Is this the price for my actions?" She muttered. "Why does Miho have to pay for my actions?"

She sighed and swiped her hand through her hair. "No matter. I cannot falter for one step." She said, standing up. "I feel sorry for Miho, but she must take control of her life, just like I have finally done."

"Commander." Erika whispered. Maho's head slumped down. "I may seem cold, which I actually might be. But I must go on." She walked towards the door. "Erika, give me the latest reports on the situation of Bonple and Gregor." Erika saluted. "Yes, commander!"

 **Northern Bonple, 1:20 P.M.**

Dozens of Panzers rolled over the plains, crushing the green grass and leaving a brown trail behind them. The occasional explosion in the distance was heard by the roar and the slight tremble in the Earth. The infantry leaned out of their armored halftracks, chatting and sleeping in their seats. A few were even snuggling with each other, to the amusement of their friends.

The Panzer IV commander's head bobbed as her mind was shifting from consciousness to sleep in her chair. This was the first time she had any real rest during the entire invasion of Bonple. Her face had an expression of pure bliss, her brain was wandering to a heaven of an all-you-can-eat-breakfast, filled with not only Japanese foods such as mochi and miso soup, but also Western cuisines such as eggs and bacon. Her dream made her salivate in real life, and drooled down her sleeping face.

"Commander!" The Panzer IV commander bolted awake at the sound of the radio operator. "HQ ordered the 2nd Panzer company to move Northwest. There's a Bonple town just through the forest." She said. The Panzer IV commander nodded. "Alright, 2nd company, follow me!" She ordered, and 15 tanks swerved right with her.

They drove through the forest and saw the first houses of the town. "Get ready for combat!" The commander said. However, the defenders quickly threw their arms down and surrendered to the Kuromorimine panzers. As the Panzers rolled through the small town white flags popped out from the houses, and civilians looked on with defeat in their eyes.

 _Huh, they really lost their fighting spirit,_ the commander thought as she looked at the small group of Bonple soldiers with their hands up in the air marched towards her. _Well, it makes everything easier for us._

 **Arrow Cross High School, 3:06 P.M.**

Géza sat alone in her study, drinking a cup of coffee. On the table lay a map of Central Honshu, Arrow Cross in the center of the map. The schools of Bonple in the north and Gregor to the west. She sighed. Kuromorimine was rampaging through those two schools, and was surely going to expand further. Even though they were both in the United Front Alliance, Géza wanted a buffer zone between herself and Maho, fearful of her behavior.

She pondered what she should do. _She's pulling everybody's leg at the same time,_ she thought to herself. _Who knows what she's planning next._ She certainly knew her school's limits, and if Kuromorimine decided to strike her she doubted she'll be able to resist long. The fact that Gregor and Bonple was crumbling under the invasions was tempting Géza to send her own forces to acquire territory for the school. She had no special connection to Boleslava, but Jajka was a personal friend of hers, as far back in middle school. Géza was especially worried for her if she got captured by Kuromorimine. Who knows what'll happen to her. Frustrated, Géza chugged down the cup of coffee and slammed it down against the table. "God dammit!" She shouted. "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

She wanted to help out Jajka in any way possible, but didn't want to get on Maho's bad side. She cursed under her breath. "Why the hell do I have to be in this position…" She muttered. Groaning, she stood up from her chair and leaned against the table. "Jajka, why did you have to provoke the black monster?" She grumbled. "There's only one way I can save you. You may not like it, but I'm sorry for what I have to do."

She walked out of her study, her decision made up. She marched to the war room, opening the door and surprising the officers and generals inside.

"Prepare for Operation Magyar(Invasion of Bonple) and Operation Naplemente(Invasion of Gregor)! We will expand our borders and our prestige within the Iron Front!" She ordered. _And hopefully I could beg Maho to hand Jajka over to me,_ she thought bitterly. _Don't worry. I'll save you, friend._

 **Gregor High School, 3:26 P.M.**

The some 4,000 Kuromorimine soldiers were stationed in the small town, resting from their quick advance. The civilian population was unfortunately forced to accommodate these girls for some time. Light tanks were parked in rows in the garages, guarded against any intruders. Howitzers fired into the air, throwing dirt up as the recoil kicked in.

One girl was sitting by the curb, smoking a cigarette. She lit the cigarette and put it up against her lips. She closed her eyes as she inhaled, and as she exhaled grey smoke flew out of her mouth. Her cream-colored hair was tucked underneath her field hat, and her shirt was drenched in sweat. She pulled on her collar and took a deep breath. "It's so hot." She complained. "Why do we have to fight in such heat?"

She took another drag of her cigarette. She slumped down, taking in the smell of the smoke. "How much longer are we going to fight here?" She asked herself.

There was a heavy panting behind her, and she turned around to see a big white dog sitting on the sidewalk, staring at her. "What the…" She mumbled as the dog jumped up on her, licking her face repeatedly. "Agh, stop it!" She shouted. "Get off!" But the dog continued to lick her.

The girl finally pushed the dog off, standing up. The dog looked up at her, slowly panting. The girl looked down at the collar of the dog. It said 'Crystal', nothing more. The girl groaned. "What the hell. How the hell am I supposed to find the owner?"

"What is it, Mary?" A colleague ran up to her. "Is that a dog?" Mary nodded. "I don't know whose it is." Her friend looked at the dog. "Maybe you should look for the owner?"

The dog suddenly took off, running in the opposite direction. Mary stood up. "Hey, wait up!" She shouted, running after the dog. "What are you doing? You can't just-" Her friend called out. Mary turned her head. "I'll be back in a minute!" She replied.

Mary and the dog ran out of the town, going through a small dirt path in the forest. "Hey, Crystal, stop!" Mary ordered, but the dog continued to run faster. Mary kept her focus on the wagging tail as they darted through the forest and into a wide field. She cursed when the furry figure grew smaller. However, Crystal stopped and turned around, watching Mary catch up to him.

Breathing heavily, she finally caught up to the dog. "Damn it, why do you have to be so fast?" She gasped out. His tongue out, the dog stared at her with his black eyes. Mary looked down at him. "What's so funny?" She grumbled. The dog turned around and trotted off again, to the chagrin of Mary. "Oh, come on!" She wailed as she followed the canine.

The pair waded through the fields and entered a stone road. Every time Mary almost lost sight of Crystal, he would stop and sit down, waiting for Mary until she was close enough he would take off again. This would repeat several times, until they reached a small town.

They ran past empty houses, through winding alleyways and across children's parks. Crystal slowed down and began turning his head, as if looking for something. "What is he doing?" Mary asked herself, sa Crystal finally stopped and sat down. Mary reached him, and sat down next to him. "You'renuisance." She muttered. Crystal responded by licking her cheek.

Crystals ears perked, and Mary heard the faint echoing of a female voice. "Crystal, where are you?" She called. Crystal shot up and was speeding down the street like a bullet, with Mary jogging from behind.

Mary turned the corner and found Crystal sitting, being hugged by a girl her own size. "Crystal? Where were you?" She cried, pushing her own face into his chest.

"Are you his owner? You really got to put him on a leash…" Mary said, and the girl looked up. "Did you find him? Thank you!" She exclaimed. "I can't thank you enough…" Her eyes went wide when she looked closer at Mary. Mary turned stone cold when she saw the girl's uniform, helmet and rifle. She jumped back and took out her pistol, cocked and ready. The Gregor soldier sprang up with her rifle, aimed at Mary. _The enemy? What the hell?_ Mary thought. They both stood still, glaring at each other.

Then Crystal walked up to Mary and nuzzled against her leg. He turned to look at his owner and let out a soft whine. "He took a liking to you." The Gregor girl growled. Mary frowned. "Crystal is a strange name, you know that?" She said. The girl grunted. "My sister is a strange person." She replied. "Not as bad as my dad. He named our dog Pickle." The girl let out a chuckle. "A dog named Pickle? What was he thinking?" She asked. Mary shrugged. "I don't know." She answered, emitting a small laugh.

The girl put down her rifle. "I can't believe things have come down to this. Girls like us, killing each other. Why can't we be friends?" She said bitterly. Mary put away her pistol. "I don't know. I don't want to be here." She muttered in agreement. "I want to have a normal life, going to school, hanging out with friends and getting a boyfriend."

"You know what, if we were the leaders of our schools, I bet we could solve all of our problems in five minutes and avoid all of this." The girl declared. "The top brass is crazy for handling their problems like this."

"We're just their pawns in their game." Mary said. "Nobody really wants to kill each other."

The girl stepped closer. "Look, you really should go. If my comrades find you here you'll end up dead." She warned Mary. Mary nodded and turned around. She started to walk but the girl stopped her. "My name is Ivonka!" She cried. "What's yours?"

"Mary." Mary replied. Ivonka smiled. "I want to meet Pickle." She said. "Maybe one day we could meet again, with both our dogs." Mary grinned. "Of course, I would love that."

"Promise?" Ivonka asked. Mary nodded. "Promise." She confirmed. She turned and walked back to her base. She heard Crystal's whines, and felt the tears roll down her cheek.

 **Viggens High School, 5:22 P.M.**

Aesir ran through the city, searching for her commander. Weaving through the streets, she ran into the army HQ. She burst into a room where many officers and officials were chatting. "Have you seen Loki?" She asked. The looked at each other. "No, why?" One girl spoke up. Aesir gulped. "Because Viking Fisheries invaded!" She shouted. The girls looked at each other in bewilderment. "I think she-she's there." A girl suggested. Aesir arched her eyebrow. "What?" She asked. The girl turned to Aesir. "She's probably there." She repeated. "And where is that?" Aesir demanded. The girl gaped at her. "You're her aide. You should know."

 **Twenty Minutes Later**

Aesir stood in front of the humongous church. She readjusted her glasses in awe at the awesome designs that twisted and turned on the stone walls. The large oak doors dwarfed her small stature. She walked up the stairs and pushed open the doors, which opened with a loud _creeak_.

Aesir saw the lone figure of Loki across the aisle, kneeling in front of the pulpit. The evening sun shined through the cross window, showering Loki in orange light. Her long shadow was cast against the carpeted floor, eventually melting together with the unlit back.

Each step Aesir took echoed throughout the entire church, the sounds bouncing off the walls. Her face turned white when Loki stirred, but she slunk back down and continued praying.

Aesir reached Loki and leaned across to look at her face. Loki had her eyes closed, and she had a calm expression on her. She faced the floor, and her hair flowed down to the carpet.

"Um...Commander?" Aesir broke the silent. Loki's eyes snapped open with such speed Aesir took a step back. "What is it?" Loki asked. Aesir recomposed herself. "Viking Fisheries have invaded." She reported. Loki nodded and stood up. Muttering one more prayer, she stood up. "Okay. I will gather up all forces and meet them head on in a decisive battle." She said. She began walking out of the church. "Let's go." She waved her hand. "Yes, commander!" Aesir squeaked as she followed her.

 **Shirataka, Bonple, 9:40 P.M.**

Koume slumped against the chair, exhausted by another day of commanding the battle. "Ugh, I need a bath." She groaned. Kitayama sat next to her. "I need a real bed." She added. Koume glanced at her. "I could use that as well." She agreed. "This job is really tiring. Things aren't getting better either. We're on a seesaw, one day we're on the verge of victory, the next we're almost defeated. Ugh, this is just…"

"General." Koume looked up to see Eric standing over her. "I've gotten a portable bath ready for you." He said. "Oh, and for Fräulein Kitayama as well." He smiled warmly at Koume, and she felt her cheeks go red. "Thank you, Eric." She mumbled. "And call me Koume already."

Eric smiled again and left the tent. Kitayama jeered at Koume. "Oooh, you've got yourself a nice man." She sang. Koume blushed harder. "He's too proper and serious. He won't even call me by my first name." She mumbled. "He's too ingrained in his job." Kitayama's eyes widened. "Wait, you really-"

"He's such a nice man." Koume continued. "But he won't notice me." She sighed. "He doesn't get tempted by my advances and refuses to call me by just my first name." She put her hands in between her legs. "I don't know what to do. I really do want to get closer to him, but he's just so distant." She whimpered. Kitayama scooted closer. "You have to use your womanly charms to get into his heart. Use your wit and body to get close to him. You will get him for sure."

"I have! He got embarrassed when he saw me in my underwear and left my room. Maybe he doesn't even like me." Koume cried. Kitayama pulled her close. "After we win this battle, get closer to him. The victory will give you an opportunity to tell him how you feel." She said, and Koume nodded.

 **Around Three Hours Later**

The cloudless night sky was covered with stars over the battlefield. For the two Kuromorimine soldiers in the foxhole, this was a show to behold. One was sleeping, while the other one was watching the empty field, clutching her K98. She had to slap herself to keep the drowsiness away from her. "God damn…" She muttered as she glanced at her watch. She turned to her comrade. "Hey. It's your shift." She began shaking the sleeping girl. The girl didn't wake, so the sentry grabbed her by the shoulders and violently shook her until she screamed in the silent night. "What? What!" She exclaimed. The sentry slapped her. "Your turn." She muttered. The other girl blinked a couple of times. "Oh, okay." She said, crawling up to the edge of the foxhole.

Several colorful lights flew up in the sky, exploding in the air. Red, Yellow and Orange lights blow up like fireworks. "Damn, flares." The first girl mumbled. "Who the hell fired that?" The flares were followed by a loud rumbling, and then more explosions rocked the sky. "Shit, is this a nighttime raid?" The now-sentry said. Mortars began firing from the Bonple side of the field, and the two girls saw tracers fly across in the distance.

"Good thing that's not in our sector." The first girl mumbled as she turned over onto her side. "I need my sleep."

The sentry chuckled. "At least I get to see this show." She replied. The girl clicked her tongue. "That show results in the death of our comrades." She answered. "They need their sleep as well."

The sounds of gunfire forced the girl to get up and rub her eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me? I need my sleep!" She shouted. The sentry laughed at her. "You can sleep through that." She told her. The girl rolled her eyes. "God, I just need an hour of sleep." She complained. "Or we just should beat them already and go home."

"Don't worry. We'll win soon enough." The sentry assured her. "We'll beat'em soon enough."

* * *

 **Oh my, a new chapter! Viking Fisheries have now invaded Viggens, and the first major battle between United Front and Chi-ha-Tan ended with a Chi-ha-Tan victory. Holy crap I have written over 230 pages of this story, that is the most I have written for any story so far. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment, and until next time, Panzer Vor!**


	12. Gott Mitt Uns!

**Chapter Twelve: Gott Mitt Uns!**

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 _ **"I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies.**_ **"**

 **-Carolus Rex 1697-1718**

* * *

 **Kuzumaki, Viggens High School, August 22nd, 9:18 A.M.**

Oslofjord stood with her staff in the top of the hill, the bustling camp behind them. 46,000 Troops were preparing for the upcoming battle, eating their breakfasts and getting their weapons ready. The artillery was preparing to bombard the enemy positions across the forests and fields. Trucks were being refueled to carry squads of soldiers to the battlefield. Even antique cavalry was called up for the decisive battle, armed with carbines and swords. This was the entirety of the Viking Fisheries army, called up to conquer Viggens in a campaign intended to be quick and easy.

Oslofjord looked at her enormous army. "Look at this!" She exclaimed. "Look at my girls. Today is the day we will finally beat Loki and claim this land as our own!" Her officers smiled and clapped. Oslofjord smirked. "I will personally command our army to victory, as the leader of our great school."

"Commander!" Oslofjord turned and saw a soldier saluting. She saluted back. "What is it?" She asked.

"The scouts have returned, and have reported the enemy has less than 20,000 troops with them." The scout reported. Oslofjord grinned. "Great! The wind is blowing even harder in our favor."

"And it seems they are led by Loki herself." The soldier added. Oslofjord raised her eyebrows. "Oh my," She said. "I guess she wants to witness her own defeat." A sneer grew on her face. She turned back to face the Viggens position. "Hear me, Loki!" She shouted. "Surrender, you are hopelessly outnumbered! If you value your life, and the lives of your girls, surrender and I shall treat all of you like a close friend!" She proclaimed.

She slumped down, breathing heavily. "Heh, hopefully she listens this time," She panted out. Then she straightened back up. "Come on Loki. Go ahead, resist me. Today will become your Poltava for sure!"

The Viking Fisheries soldiers were eating their MREs by the campfires. They were all cheerful and elated, excited for the great victory that was about to come. One squad of girls just came out of makeshift baths, their skin wet and hair steaming.

"We can't win looking like rats now, can we?" One girl joked, her brown hair swaying in the light wind. Another girl looked at her. "Hey, do we need our makeup? I have some spare lipstick if you need any." They both started to laugh, until their officer stopped them. She had chestnut hair, and was around five feet.

"Hey now, you two should take things seriously." She said, putting a hand on their shoulders.

"Okay…" The two girls stepped back. The officer grew a smile. "Don't forget your mascara," She told them. "Come on, get your weapons. We're moving out." The two girls saluted. "Yes, commander Nora!"

The army stood in formation in front of Oslofjord, who cleared her throat. "This is the day we have been all waiting for! The main enemy force is just beyond these hills, prepared to repel our advance. But fear not! Our numbers will overwhelm them and we will destroy their fighting capacity! Our victory will resonate throughout all of Japan, and we will become the respected school we have always deserved to be. No school will underestimate us anymore, and our prestige will soar to new heights! Now go, heroes of our school, march forward and fight to victory!" She roared, and the army responded with a tidal wave of cheers and hollering. They jumped into their trucks and the tens of thousands of girls began moving towards the Viggens positions.

Meanwhile, on the other side the soldiers of Viggens High School were entrenched behind sandbags and trenches, their machine guns and field guns trained on the black forest a few hundred metres away. The small town behind them was cleared of all civilians beforehand, now each house had become a bunker, filled with cannons and machine guns. There were howitzers and AA guns in the streets.

The girls were on guard, their eyes flickering towards the Viking Fisheries base camp. This was their entire army, just 18,000 troops gathered up to defend their school. They knew this battle would decide the entire war, and were very nervous as a result.

In the main Viggens military base camp, the commanders were fretting over the strategy.

"We should split our forces in half and flank them!" One officer cried.

"Are you crazy? With these numbers?" Another one shouted.

"We should hole up in the town!" A third girl suggested.

"That's suicide!" The first one exclaimed.

They continued to argue until they heard the tent flap open behind them.

"What is going on?" Loki's voice boomed out. The officers quickly saluted as she marched in.

"Commander?" One girl squeaked.

"How many soldiers does the enemy have?" Loki demanded. The most senior of the girls stepped forward. "Nearly 50,000, ma'am." She answered reluctantly.

To their surprise, Loki started to laugh. "Hahaha! Oh, man! Oslo is really bent on crushing me! She really does overestimate herself, and underestimate me!" She wiped tears from her eyes. "Have no worries. Numbers are not everything in war. Raw strength can be made useless with skill and strategy," She said. "We will hold our positions until the last enemy reserves have dried up. Then we will counterattack. It is that simple!" She declared. Her officers stared at her with gaping mouths. She shrugged. "What? Is there anything else we need to do? How about this; If we lose this battle, I will resign as head of school." She said nonchalantly.

"What? Please take this more seriously! Our very survival is at stake here!" One officer screamed. Loki took a step back. "Hey, calm down. Do you really think we're going to lose this one? Ha, you're out of your minds!" She laughed. "I tell you, I have a good feeling about this." She boldly proclaimed.

"But…." The officer stuttered, and she stepped back. Loki took a step forward, towering over the officer, looking down at her with a menacing stare. The officer scrambled back, terrified.

Loki grinned as she drew back. She then glared at the officers one by one. "If any of you doubt our victory, you may run from these fields with your lives, but not with your dignity." With that she turned around and left the tent.

She walked out of the base camp, and right upto the defenses set up by the soldiers outside, followed by Aesir.

"Girls!" She shouted, and the soldiers turned to look up at her. "Hear me! Today you will be the champions that will defend our homes! We may be outgunned, outnumbered and out of options, but we will persevere through this crisis. Our school spirit will push us through onto a glorious sunrise tomorrow!" She sucked in more air in her lungs, and bellowed out even louder. "You may have to lose an arm, a leg or even your lives. But do not cry, for the ones that fall here will become known as the martyrs that gave their lives for the great battle that saved our school! The enemy has underestimated us here, and I have no doubt they are already preparing their victory celebrations. They think today will be our Lützen; no, this will be our Breitenfeld!" A loud cheer erupted from the entrenched girls, and Loki smirked.

She coughed, and continued. "Our morale is high, higher than the overconfident enemy. Our arms are of better quality, and our officers are the best Shikoku has to offer. Even if we are outnumbered 20-to-1, we will emerge bloody, battered and victorious! I will personally lead you to victory! I will man the machine guns, I will lead the final charge. I will not fight not as your superior, but as your fellow comrade! So fight, fight and never retreat!" Another loud round of cheering. Loki grinned. "As a great Swede once said;

Framåt Karoliner

Fiendens dom är här

Låt oss krossa dom

Kasta in dom genom helvetets portar!"

"Somebody listened to too much Saba-" Aesir muttered before yelping as Loki glared at her. Loki turned around to face her troops. "Do not worry, for God is protecting us with his almighty hand! All shall pray, and we will be guided to a victorious conclusion. Gott mitt uns!" She rose her arm into the air. The soldiers repeated this and cried out a chorus of "Gott mitt uns!"

Then the earth began to tremble as artillery shells began crashing around them.

"Commander, please take cover!" Aesir screamed as she dove to the ground. A hail of dirt covered her and Loki, but when her vision returned Loki remained standing, unharmed. "You think this will kill me?" She scoffed. "God shall protect me with his glorious arms." She said coolly. "Artillery, return fire!" She roared.

Dozens of Haubits m/40 howitzers began to open fire, throwing shells into the air towards the Viking Fisheries positions as they themselves were under heavy fire.

Troops huddled together in their trenches as foxholes were blown up and houses were crushed. Artillery guns broke apart as the crews were twisted into unnatural postures. Bodies were thrown into the air, shredded by thousands of pieces of shrapnel. Arms and torsos landed back on the ground, with blood raining on top of the soldiers below. Girls cried as they were brutally killed, and more dug deeper into the ground. The soldiers in the killzone gritted their teeth and waited the artillery bombardment out.

On the other side, Nearly one hundred Rheinmetall 12 cm leFH 08 howitzers blasted continually in a horrendous crescendo, raking the entire land with explosives. The infantry all the while advanced under the cover of fire, and under fire themselves. Entire ranks were obliterated as shells plunged into formation. The grass was littered with the dead and dying as soldiers marched past them. Some girls tripped over body parts or slipped on blood. Screams of pain and agony echoed throughout the battlefield. Lorries filled with troops were blown up or flipped onto its back. Girls scrambled out of them, on fire. Horses whinnied as they buckled down on the ground.

Shells arced into the Viking Fisheries base camp, and staff officers were tossed into the air. Oslofjord stood like a statue as her officers died around her. "Hah! This scares you? Lily-livered cowards!" She dismissed the artillery bombardment that surrounded her. She stepped forward, taking out a pair of binoculars. She sneered as her artillery pounded the Viggens soldiers, a thick layer of brown dust covering the entire field. She saw brief bright flashes from within the cloud, and she imagined they were the artillery of Viggens.

She bit her lip as the soldiers below were being slaughtered. But no matter. She had made up her mind, and if a few thousand more girls died for it, then so be it. She must achieve this victory at any cost.

 **Two Hours Later**

The artillery from both sides continued to rumble, churning the ground up like a meat mincer. The fields have been turned into the face of the moon, hundreds of craters dotting the land.

For the girls in the trenches, this was a living hell. Their positions were being pounded down from the skies, shells raining down on them like an angry storm. Machine guns and field guns became disabled as shrapnel embedded themselves into the barrels.

"Shit, keep your heads down!" One officer shouted before being covered by a sheet of dust. Dirt got stuck in her long, light blonde hair. She coughed as some dirt flew down her throat. "Fuck…" She muttered.

"How long is this going to last?" A girl next to her was thrown out of the trench, and the officer dared to take a peek. All that remained of the girl was a stump of a body, blood pouring out of the holes. The officer's eyes went wide and she stumbled backwards. "God dammit!" She exclaimed. She put her hands against her ears; they were ringing from the constant artillery barrages.

Then slowly but surely, the howitzers fell silent. The girls in the trenches let out a sigh of relief and began to reorganize themselves. There were wounded girls yelling for medics, and some soldiers started to dig out collapsed foxholes and reinforced bunkers. Bodies were taken out of the trenches and stacked at the edge of the defensive lines to be buried later. Nearly 500 soldiers of the Viggens army had been killed by the bombardment-already a significant loss for such a small force.

The officer stood up, her hat fallen on the trench floor. She picked it up and put it back on her crumpled up hair. "Damn, that was one hell of a ride." She mumbled. She narrowed her eyes towards the treeline and her eyes nearly bulged out. "Enemy formation marching right towards us! Everybody man your guns!" She screamed. Girls scrambled to grab their rifles and machine guns and aimed it towards the emerging Vikings Fisheries soldiers.

"Keep marching!" Nora shouted as her soldiers stumbled on, through the thick underbrush and over their dead comrades. In the bombardment they suffered over 3,000 casualties, leaving a trail of corpses and blood in their wake. But they kept on moving, rifles on their shoulders. There was blood and mud on everybody's uniforms, sweat ran down every face.

"We're so close." Nora whispered to herself. The forest was dark, save for the occasional beam of sunshine that poked through the green roof above them. The 20,000 boots crunched over twigs and leaves as they made their way.

Nora wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She did not expect the battle to start in such a manner. The sights of shells wiping out entire formations, the rain of shrapnel and the shaking of the ground all flashed in the back of her mind. The exploding trucks, and the burning girls that ran out screaming so left a burning mark in her soul. She had to heartlessly leave them behind, but they were dead anyways. She had to keep her eyes forward, where the prize was. The elusive object called victory was almost in her grasp, just at her fingertips. One more lunge, and it would be firm in her palms.

She held in her breath as she saw the light in front of her. They were at the end of the forest. She raised her arm. "Everybody spread out!" She ordered, and the tight formation dispersed as the girls fanned out. They unslung their rifles and started to sneak up to the border of the forest.

Nora put her hand above her eyes to block the sunlight. She gripped her Konigsberg Colt in her holster as she inched her way to the bushes that covered her from the open fields. _This was it,_ she thought. _This is our moment._

Suddenly the air was lit up with machine gun and rifle fire, cutting down hundreds of girls in a second.

 _What the fuck!_ Nora screamed in her mind as she dove into the bush. _I thought the artillery did its damn job!_ Girls screamed as bullets sliced through their bodies. Nora watched as blood spurted into the air, and girls falling down lifeless.

"Set up machine guns and mortars to suppress the enemy fire, while the infantry continue to advance!" She ordered, and soldiers took out Brandt 81mm mortars and setup Madsen machine guns. They started to fire back, tracers soaring through the fields. Hordes of infantry surged forwards, regardless of the tsunami of lead crashing down upon them.

The officer pulled the trigger of her m/1938 rifle, splitting the head of a soldier in half. "What the hell is wrong with them?" She muttered as she pulled the bolt back. "They're just walking like it's their backyard or something." She had no need to aim, as a column of infantry was literally in her sight already, all she had to do was point and shoot.

She emptied her clip and shoved a new one in. "This is too easy. They're making it too easy." She said through clenched teeth as dirt flew back into her mouth. The constant chattering of the rifles and machine guns almost blocked out the painful shrieks of the girls marching right towards her, and she felt a twinge of guilt. But no matter, she continued killing regardless.

Then the 10.5 cm Fältkanon m/34Ms opened up; these heavy field guns literally blasted hundreds of girls into little pieces, turning this battle into a true slaughter. The crews worked tirelessly, shoving shell after shell into the breech, each time killing at least half a dozen people every time it fired. Despite it being a clear, sunny day it rained limbs and blood in the hellish landscape.

For the private that was marching in the frontlines, this was a nightmare. In a matter of minutes many of her friends were slaughtered in painful deaths right in front of her eyes, the cannons and guns that were pointed right at her, and the awful sight of the bloody corpses all around her. Tears rolled down her cheeks while she solemnly stepped to her what was certain death. She was only 17, a tender age of youth that got mixed up in the bloodshed.

She winced when the girl next to her got sliced in half, her intestines flinging into the air like a boomerang. Her arms were getting tired from lugging the rifle for a long time, and she was getting extremely sick. She had to stop in her tracks and vomit, to which fellow soldiers jumped out of the way and screamed at her. But she couldn't help it; how could anybody not vomit at the sight of all of this?

A soldier next to her stumbled, a bullet had flown straight through her leg. Blood flowed down, and she became pale. The private grabbed her and set her against the ground. "Hopefully a medic will see you." She whispered apologetically. The soldier looked up at her with understanding eyes. The private wiped her tears and once again walked towards the enemy earthworks.

Trucks carrying soldiers drove alongside the advancing women. The field guns point their barrels at these vehicles and began picking them off one by one. They exploded, flames erupting from within. Girls tumbled out of the back, flailing their arms in an attempt to extinguish the blaze that engulfed them. One shell landed right next to one truck, flipping over to the side. The trucks also towed field guns; Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 190s to be exact. The trucks stopped, and girls jumped out to set the guns up. After several seconds they began lobbing shells into the Viggens trenches. Wooden palisades collapsed, crushing the machine gunners within. The pressure on the advancing army weakened as the defenders themselves became under fire.

Nora gritted her teeth as she ran across the field. Zigzagging behind dead bodies and burnt-out trucks, she crept closer to the enemy defenses. She gripped her Konigsberg Colt tightly as dashed out back into the open. She felt bullets cut the grass around her, wind whipping past her. She fired her Colt in the general direction of the trenches as a general deterrence against the defenders. Dirt flew up when bullets bit into the earth, and she grew nervous as she got closer. But she looked around her and saw thousands of girls around her and grew confident. "Come on," She yelled mostly to herself. "Keep on going!"

Girls knelt down, firing their Krag Jørgensen rifles. They _cracked_ as the barrels jolted upwards. They unleashed a barrage of rifle fire into the Viggens trenches, their advance quickening.

All across the field the Viking Fisheries forces surged forward, being slaughtered by the entrenched enemy forces by the minute. Thousands of bodies lay silent on the ground. Even as they were being butchered, it was obvious that even without the use of submachine guns the Viking Fisheries troops were gaining ground. The defenders began to lose soldiers as well, being picked off by lucky markswomen or be be blown apart by Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 190s. The attackers even reached the outer trenches by twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

They jumped into the trenches, swinging their rifles and firing their pistols. Brandt mortar shells plummeted into the narrow trenches, tossing the overwhelmed defenders into the air. The two sides crashed into each other, butts and barrels smashing against each other's faces. The Viggens soldiers were forced on the defensive, the spilling of their blood long overdue in the carnage.

The soldiers advanced swiftly, taking the foremost Viggens positions in the field. They have inflicted many casualties upon Viggens, but suffered many more themselves. The remaining Viggens soldiers slowly retreated, firing their rifles as they stepped backwards.

The private cried in relief as she slumped down in the trench. "Finally, some cover!" She shouted as she leaned against the dirt. However, she shot back up as her back slipped on some wet blood. She looked to her left and saw the empty eyes of a dark-haired girl staring right at her. She shrieked and almost poked her head out above the trenches. Only the whizzing of bullets forced her to pull back down. "Shit!" She said, taking ahold of her Krag Jørgensen.

"This is only the beginning, soldier." Another girl reminded the private, who grumbled in anger.

 **Viggens Left Flank, 12:02 P.M.**

Nearly one thousand cavalry rode through the hills, their chests jutted out with their proud uniforms, swords dangling by their hips. Their horses neighed and snorted as they galloped towards the small town, and the single trenchline that preceded it. They sped past the infantry, who unfortunately had to contend with the dust cloud the hooves of the horses had kicked up.

"Come on girls, let's show these fools how a war is fought!" The cavalry officer bellowed. Her strawberry-blonde hair fluttered in the soft wind. She laughed as she lead the charge, throwing her head back. The thundering hooves shook the earth as they got closer to the town.

They saw flashes of light, and then the first horses buckled down as they were cut down by the machine guns. Soldiers from the houses aimed down at the cavalry, throwing the girls off their mounts. Field guns and AA guns blasted away at the horde at the cavalry, creating holes in the formations. The trenchline opened up as the horses entered their range.

"Charge!" The cavalry officer screamed, kicking the sides of her horse. The horse snorted and took off like a train. The officer looked around her and saw other girls galloping right behind her. Bullets arced around them, taking down other unfortunate riders.

A shell exploded right next to her, showering her with dirt. She ducked down against her horse and rode underneath the curtain of shellfire. She ignored the screams of her soldiers and the whinnies of the horses. She cursed as she unsheathed her sword.

Then her entire world crashed around her; a fusilade of bullets crashed into her horse, and she rolled into the dirt. She coughed as she stood back up, and noticed the blood rolling down her arm. She watched with frightful eyes at her gaping wound as the silhouette of a stallion, in a pained frenzy raised its front legs within the clouds of swirling dust behind her.

The suicidal charge was finally stopped by the salvo, which after the dust settled hundreds of girls and animals lie dead. Only the occasional horse was trotting around the field, riderless.

 **Viggens Center Position, 12:27 P.M.**

The officer ducked down as a flurry of bullets flew above her. "Shit. they're coming in faster than my paycheck." She muttered. She stood up and fired a shot, shooting out a chunk the torso of a Viking Fisheries soldier. "How many are there?" She asked herself.

A soldier next to her gripped her Kpist M/37, its entire body shuddering as it spat out bullets. A whole squad of enemy soldiers fell by her submachine gun. "Holy shit," The girl panted. "This is crazy."

She turned to the officer. "Officer Skadi!" She called out. The officer turned to face her. "What is it?" She asked.

The soldier faltered. "We're severely outnumbered here, aren't we?" Skadi shrugged. "Yeah, we definitely are." She replied with a smile. She reloaded her rifle and went back to shooting, taking down three enemy soldiers.

She heard a soft _thud_ beside her. When she turned her head her eyes widened. "Fuck, get down!" She shouted. She shot her hand down and threw the object out of the trench as fast as she could. She dove down in the trench, until she heard the loud _pop_ and cloud of smoke.

"Was that a grenade?" The soldier asked nervously. Skadi nodded in confirmation.

 **Viggens Right Flank, Around 1:16 P.M.**

By now the Viking Fisheries advance had pushed the Viggens forces back from their forward positions. They pushed on all fronts, slowly enveloping the enemy defenses. However, they were having great difficulty on the right flank, on a hill called _Ounichi Hill._ On the hill were 1,800 girls, known as the _Karoliners,_ the elites of the Viggens armed forces stationed on the hill. More than 5,000 Viking Fisheries troops marched up the hill, ready to storm the hilltop.

"Commander Tyr, they're coming." The short girl said. The taller girl next to her nodded. They both stood in the trench, looking down at the Viking Fisheries troops below them. Tyr tied up her pink hair up into a knot, and put her helmet on. "Don't fire until we can see the whites in their eyes." She ordered. The short girl sighed. "Ma'am, that'll be too late." She said.

Tyr looked at her. "What? We're a disciplined force. We can do it, Freyja." She said. She peeked through her binoculars. "There's around, a thousand down there I guess."

Some of the more forward Viking Fisheries troops knelt down and fired up at the trench. Bullets zipped past their heads.

"Uh, ma'am. They're firing at us. Maybe we should return fire?" Freyja asked in a bored tone. Tyr groaned. "Fine." She touched the cross necklace around her neck, and muttered a small prayer. "Girls," She ordered. "Open fire!"

Almost 2,000 rifles, machine guns and submachine guns opened up on the soldiers clambering up the hill. Soldiers tumbled down like bowling pin. Bullets ripped through the soldiers, and girls collapsed with blood pouring out of their shredded flesh. They unbuckled grenades from their belts and lobbed them towards the Karoliner trench. Soldiers dispersed as they exploded, shrapnel shooting out across the trench. Some shrapnel planted themselves into the skin of some soldiers, who gritted in pain and fell down.

Freyja reloaded her lmg Kg m/1939, putting the new magazine on top of the gun. With each tug of the trigger, a pair of girls would crumple down, blood spraying out of their bodies. She swiveled her body to face the enemies that came closest to the trenchline. "Woohoo, this is great!" She shouted as her body shook, both from the recoil and excitement.

Tyr grunted as she leaned her head against the bolt of her m/1939 rifle, hitting her target. "Don't get too excited. You might end up killing yourself."

"I am fine!" Freyja shouted, just as a bullet skimmed her helmet. It bounced around her head, causing her to lose balance and fall down. Tyr looked down at her with satisfaction. "There." She said. Freyja stood up and grabbed her lmg. "They cannot stop me from killing them." She announced. She lay low against the trench, only peeking up to fire her gun.

Then a torrent of explosions enveloped the hilltop. They ripped the summit apart, making the ground tremble like an earthquake. Shells thundered as they plunged into the ground, hurling the Karoliners into the air. The girls whimpered, fearing Thor himself had descended onto the battlefield.

"Shit, they're using artillery to try to flush us out!" Tyr realized. The section just left of her disappeared, the trench and girls being flooded by the cloud of dirt. She had to close her eyes as the dust flooded her trench as well.

Brown puffs of smoke emerged above the hill, showering the unfortunate girls with thousands of metal shards.

The Viking Fisheries girls used this bombardment to their advantage, setting up Madsen lmgs and firing their rifles upwards.

The death toll of the Karoliners grew as time wore on. Almost 300 have been killed in this battle, while up to 2,000 enemies were also killed. Tyr coughed and poked her head out. "Damn it," She cursed. "We're getting slaughtered here, and they're just growing in numbers." She ducked again as the _boom_ of an explosion rang above her.

"Aren't we just sitting ducks here?" Freyja shouted at her. "We can't do anything up here."

"You're right," Tyr said. "Staying up here will only result in our deaths." She stood up tall, much to the surprise of Freyja and the other Karoliners.

"Karoliners! Reload your submachine guns and fix your bayonets! We will charge the enemy. If we engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat the enemy gunners will not be able to fire for risk of killing their own troops!" She cried, attaching her a bayonet to her own rifle.

"Are you crazy?" Freyja exclaimed. "That's insane!" Tyr looked back at her with a large grin on her face. "That's why they will never see it coming!" She retorted. Freyja groaned in defeat and reloaded her Kg M/1939.

"Come on, girls!" Tyr shouted in exhilaration. "Fix your damn bayonets!"

The Karoliners, still under the curtain of artillery, rose out of their trenches and stampeded down the hill. The Viking Fisheries soldiers froze in shock as the Viggens soldiers rushed down to meet an enemy that outnumbered them. Then panic set in ; they fired their machine guns and shot point blank into the mob of Karoliners. But the Karoliners, letting out bloodcurdling screams, plowed through them, spraying submachine gun fire and brandishing their bayonets.

Tyr grunted as she jumped into the air, pointing her bayonet to the stupefied machine gunner below her. She tried to lug her machine gun up, but the gun wouldn't allow it. Tyr grinned when she slammed into the machine gunner, impaling her with the bayonet. As she pulled her rifle out, the Viking Fisheries soldier jerked up, blood squirting out of her wound. She jumped off of the body, rolling across the grass.

She looked up to see a soldier standing above her, lowering her rifle, with a bayonet attached. The blade plummeted down towards her, and she only had just enough time to move her head as the bayonet dug itself into the hard earth.

The soldier kicked the rifle away from Tyr's hand; it skidded away down the hill. The soldier pulled her rifle out of the ground and aimed it at Tyr's head.

Reacting in an instant, Tyr pulled out her knife and thrust it at the soldier's jugular. She used so much force the knife went in all the way up to the hilt.

The soldier's head snapped to the side; there was a pained expression on her face. When Tyr pulled the knife out hot thick blood splattered against her face. The soldier gurgled out blood as she clutched her neck in her final moments, crashing down on the ground. Tyr got up and watched the girl twitch, their eyes meeting.

The girl stopped moving, and Tyr kicked the corpse down the hill. She grabbed her blood-soaked knife and charged back into the fray.

Freyja's boots dug into the ground as she fired her lmg, killing all the enemies in front of her. The gun stopped shaking when the last bullet was discharged, and she began swinging it like a bat at any enemy soldiers.

Freyja hit one soldier in the head, making a sickening _crack_ as the soldier fell to the ground. Blood slowly trickled out of the girl's head, and her eyes glazed over. Freyja smirked and swung her gun again, this time catching another girl who was charging her right in the face. She slipped backwards and fell on her head, screaming as she covered her face with her hands. Blood spilled between her fingers, silently trickling down her arm and silently trickled down her arm. Freyja beat the girl down with the butt of her lmg, the blood splattering across her uniform and face.

She stopped, resting her hands against her knees as she panted. All around her the Karoliners were carving their way through the mass of enemy troops, getting turned into ground beef in the process. Bullets ripped through their tender skin and hard bones. Blood vessels burst as they were torn. Limbs were severed and skulls cracked open.

But they charged on regardless. Even as their numbers thinned, their courage and fearlessness accounted for their blood-fueled frenzy. Their entire bodies were red, their weapons drenched and the expressions on their faces were of wild demons. They hollered out a warcry as they cut down any enemy in their way.

The Viking Fisheries troops began to flee in terror, the Karoliners right on their tails. Bullets entered their backs, and they fell down screaming. The Karoliners cleaved with their bayonets, leaving a path of death and destruction behind them.

Tyr jumped onto the back of one girl and sunk her bloody knife into her back. The girl cried and struggled but Tyr drew out her knife and pulled the girl's head back, putting her hand over her mouth. The girl's muffled cries were ignored as the blade slid across her throat. A thin red line appeared like a noose, and she stopped struggling.

Tyr let go of the girl and pounced on her next prey, putting her knife into the girl's nape.

The thousands of Viking Fisheries soldiers ran from the hill to save their own lives, while the Karoliners finally stopped chasing them, advancing far from their defensive position. They had lost over 800 girls, but lay behind them lay the bodies of over 4,000 enemy soldiers.

 **Viggens Central Position, 3:41 P.M.**

"Keep firing!" Skadi shouted as she fired her M/1938 rifle. They emptied their magazines into the swarm of enemies that leapt over the abandoned Viggens trenches and sandbags. Hundreds were cut down, their rifles dropping onto the ground.

"Shit, they keep on coming!" She cursed, pulling the bolt back. She had killed scores of soldiers today, but it seemed the enemy reserves were endless. They fired their Krag–Jørgensen rifles and Madsen lmgs, and launched shells from their Brandt mle 27/31 mortars into the Viggens trenches.

Just then a bullet flashed above her, and her hat flew off of her hat. A single bullet had put a hole in her hat. Skadi looked up and saw the smoking barrel of a Krag–Jørgensen pointing right at her. The soldier smirked as she pulled the trigger and aimed again. Skadi's eyes widened, and she reached for her gun, only to find it out of ammo. _This is it,_ she thought. _This is the end for me._

"Commander!" The soldier dropped her rifle as two dozen bullets hurtled through her. She dropped to the ground, dead.

Skadi turned to her right to see a soldier with a Kpist M/37 smg. She lowered her smg and smiled at Skadi. "Come on commander," She said. "We've got your back."

Skadi grinned. "Thanks." She replied as she reloaded her rifle. She rose up and fired her M/1938, hitting a girl in the hip. She fell over, only to be replaced by another soldier.

Nora crawled through the war-torn ground, sloshing through blood and guts. She stood up, aiming her pistol at the trenches before her. A Viggens soldier with a m/1938 rifle tried to shoot her, but Nora shot her in the chest twice. She slid into the trench, slipping a new magazine into her pistol. The trench was filled with the bodies from both sides.

"Damn," She muttered as she stalked through the trench. More soldiers jumped into the trench for cover.

"We've almost pushed them all the way back!" One soldier exclaimed. A mortar team set up position in the trench and launched shells into the air. The infantry fired their Krag–Jørgensen rifles and heaved their grenades. They charged towards the secondary fortified Viggens positions. They dropped like flies, but they continued to stampede relentlessly.

Nora stepped up the trench parapet, waving her gun in the air. "Come on," She prompted. "Victory is within reach! Attack!" She ran after her fellow comrades, eager for the final moments of the battle.

"Gah, they're charging again!" The soldier wailed as she reloaded her Kpist M/37 submachine gun.

"They will not give up." Nora groaned. She aimed her rifle and fired once, her shoulder shuddering as the stock pushed back against her body. The waves of thousands of enemies came closer, their yelling and hollering unnerving Skadi and the other soldiers.

 **Viggens Left Flank, 4:05 P.M.**

The KSP m/1936 heavy machine guns rang as it fired hundreds of bullets towards the assaulting Viking Fisheries soldiers. The machine guns, positioned behind sandbags and windows of the houses sprayed entire formations down, while snipers picked off the officers. Hundreds of figures were struck down as bullets burrowed through their bodies and out their backs.

The town was in the middle of a bloodbath. Each street became a place of death as both sides exchanged gunfire and grenades. The Viggens soldiers holed up in the houses as the Viking Fisheries troops broke down the doors and windows. They charged up the staircases, only to tumble back down with bullets riddling their chests.

Field guns from both sides belched out shells at point blank range, the Viking Fisheries Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 190s destroyed entire houses, covering half the town in a cloud of dust. The Viggens soldiers, armed with automatic weapons were much more suited to this kind of warfare but were nonetheless overwhelmed by the enemy numbers.

The soldiers barricaded themselves with cars, crates and anything else they could find, putting them at the end of the street. They waited with nervousness as they heard the sounds of warfare tiptoe closer.

Then suddenly the first Viking Fisheries girl appeared from behind the street corner, and the soldiers opened fire. The girl was turned to mush as hundreds of bullets shredded her flesh apart.

More soldiers emerged, kneeling to fire their rifles, suppressing the troops behind the barricade. One by one, they killed a Viggens soldier, thinning out the defense. The defenders returned fire, gunning down at least a dozen soldiers. The hail of bullets were too much and what remained of the defense were forced to fall back further into the town.

The massacre had spread to the town square, where two groups of soldiers brawled with their fists, rifles and blades. One girl pulled the hair of a Viggens soldier down before slitting her throat with a knife. Using knuckledusters, a Viggens officer beat a soldier to death. One soldier armed with a Sjögren shotgun ripped a Viking Fisheries girl to pieces, her intestines flying out in little pieces. Machine guns mowed down girls from both sides indiscriminately.

One small Viggens girl shook in fright as the battle raged around her. She grasped her rifle tightly as she took a step back away from the killing. _I'm going to die,_ she thought to herself. _I'm just going to become one of the dead in this godforsaken place!_

A Viking Fisheries soldier kneed her in the gut, launching her into the brick ground with a loud _thud._ The girl coughed as the Viking Fisheries stood over her with a smirk, pulling the bolt of her rifle back. The girl emitted a small moan of pain and terror and crawled away, but the enemy soldier only closed in on her.

"No, no, no no no," The girl whispered as the soldier raised her rifle up to her eye.

The girl watched as the soldier's head was split open by a single bullet, blood spraying out like a fountain. None other than Loki stepped forward, a smoking pistol in her hand. She wore not a general's epaulettes and medals, but rather a simple private's tunic and common field hat. There was dry blood stained on her uniform, indicating she had been fighting on the frontlines as well.

She turned to face the small soldier; there was a warm glow to her smile as she extended her hand. "Stand up soldier, and wipe your tears," She said in an affectionate tone. "There's nothing to fear, our victory's been assured." The sunlight had radiated her in a ray of white, and a feeling of hope washed over the girl as she took Loki's hand. Loki grinned. "That's it. Everything's alright."

She pulled the girl into an embrace, and stretched out her arm. "Hakkapeliitta, attack!" Her voice echoed in her loud, authoritative tone.

Suddenly from the alleyways Stridsvagn m/37 tankettes and Landsverk L180 armored cars rushed out, firing their machine guns and cannons. They raked the square, killing many of the Viking Fisheries soldiers. This reinvigorated the Viggens soldiers, who mounted a counterattack with Loki at their head. The Viking Fisheries soldiers began to flee in a panicked rush, their morale instantly shattering.

They retreated from the town as the tankettes gave chase, gunning them from behind. They turned to the center of the field, where the Viking Fisheries assault was strongest.

Five thousand girls and eighty armored cars left a dustbowl behind them, to the awe of Skadi and the exhausted soldiers that held off the enemy attack for hours. They cheered when Loki passed them, and joined the great push.

"One more push, and the field is ours!" Loki hollered, and the rumbling of propellers filled the air. From out of nowhere a dozen J 9 fighter planes appeared, strafing the Viking Fisheries soldiers on the ground. Bombs fell on the Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 190s, destroying the field guns and their crews. Because of this, the Viking Fisheries retreat became a full on rout, running full speed back to their side of the field.

The private joined her squadmates running away from the fight. "They have tanks and planes? We can't fight against that!" She cried.

The sounds of an engine above prompted her and the others to look up, and to their horro plane was right behind them. The girls screamed and increased their pace. They outran the private, whose own pace was getting slower.

"Hey, wait!" She called, and then her body slammed to the ground as she tripped over a dead body. "Ah!" She wailed as she tried to get up, and then she heard the crackling of the machine guns. Hundreds of .30cal bullets drilled through her body, and her corpse slumped down against the ground, the J 9 flying past her.

"What are you doing? Stand your ground!" Nora shouted as her subordinates dropped their weapons and fell back. "You cowards!" She reloaded her Konigsberg Colt and turned to face Loki, a look of determination on her face. The serious demeanor scared Nora, who stepped back and raised her gun. Loki fired first, putting a bullet in Nora's temple. She stepped over Nora's corpse and continued to lead the advance.

"Commander!" Loki turned and saw Tyr march right up to her. She saluted. "I didn't think you would be in the mud fight too!" She shouted. Loki grinned. "I see you survived." She replied.

"I'm damn thankful you've come with support we oh so needed," Tyr said. "Why did it take so long for the armor and air support to come?"

Loki sighed. "They had to refuel and rearm, those machines are really high-maintenance." She groaned.

"At least they came." Tyr shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, that's all that matters." Loki agreed, smirking. "They've assured our victory, and I want that Oslofjord to pay."

The fleeing Viking Fisheries soldiers were faced with utter destruction as artillery and bombs pounded from above and the tracers of machine guns sliced them from behind. Some soldiers faltered in their running, raised their arms and halted, allowing themselves to become prisoners.

 **Viking Fisheries HQ, 4:49 P.M.**

The state of the base camp was anarchy; officers gathered everything they could and shoved them into lorries, before jumping in themselves and driving away. Anything heavy, like artillery guns were being abandoned as a stream of soldiers came with the news of the sudden and terrible rout.

"How the hell did this happen?" Oslofjord screamed in anger, throwing the binoculars at the ground. "I had such an advantage...how could this have happened?" She looked around anxiously at her officers, who were sweating profusely.

"Commander, we should retreat." One girl advised. Oslofjord glared at her. "And leave the field? That is a dishonor!" She hissed. The girl trembled. "But we've already lost. There's nothing we can do."

They all looked up to see the silhouette o rush past them, strafing the basecamp. "We must evacuate!" The girl shouted, this time in fright. Oslofjord stamped her foot. "We cannot now! Think of how this would reflect on me!"

"Ma'am, would you rather be killed here?" The girl cried. Oslofjord stood still, her face red with fury. "I…" She mumbled.

"Commander!" A girl holding her arm stumbled over. Blood flowed down her face. "The enemy commander, Loki was on the field, leading the enemy charge!" She reported. Loki instantly turned white. "What? That-" She said but the girl cut her off. "She was calling your name. She wanted you to surrender to her, to grovel at her feet. And she is heading right over here!" She reported, before falling down, dead.

A conflicted look came over Oslofjord. Emotions swirled and twisted in her chest, and she hung her head low. "Retreat," She muttered. "We're leaving." She said, clutching her chest as if in shame.

 **Thirty minutes later...**

Loki marched through the abandoned camp, her voice booming. "Oslofjord, you scoundrel! Come out!" She hollered.

"She's gone, commander," Aesir said behind her in an annoyed tone. "I cannot believe you would actually go out and fight."

"What? That is the duty of a soldier, is it not?" Loki asked. Aesir rolled her eyes. "Your duty is to command, not to fight." She retorted. Loki turned around. "Aesir, you don't understand," She stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. Soldiers crowded around them, getting a glimpse of their leader.

"I strive not to be a superior to these wonderful women; I want to be their equal. I will not set myself above everybody else because of my stature. I will live and work with my girls, do the jobs nobody else wants to do. I will share in the misery, pain and discomfort the grunts will have to face. If they do not have enough to eat or a place to stay I will refuse my luxuries to push through together with what we all have. Whatever my victory will be, it will be shared with all ranks. We are all comrades together." Loki said with a dazzling smile. Aesir was taken aback. "I-I-I-" She stuttered.

"Commander," One soldier stepped forward, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you would be-" She hiccuped and started to cry. More soldiers stepped forward, crying.

"You think of us that way." One girl sniffled.

"To be under your command is an honor." Another soldier wailed. The throng of soldiers surrounded Loki and Aesir, tears rolling down their faces.

"Hail our commander!" One soldier exclaimed, and knelt down. The other girls followed suit, and within seconds hundreds of sobbing girls knelt in front of Loki, who took out her cross necklace.

"We're all equals under God. All of the suffering we face will only result in our glorious entrance to Valhalla. So do not despair girls, we must march forward together. Together we will fire our guns in our hands and blood on our uniforms. The fight will only get harder, but we will persevere under God's arm," Loki preached. She raised her cross necklace into the air. "Gott Mitt uns!" She shouted.

"Gott Mitt uns!" The soldiers repeated, their voices filled with immeasurable joy and pleasure.

 **7:19 P.M., a Few Kilometers Away...**

A small black car drove past the column of broken soldiers, their eyes hollow with the slaughter of the previous day and the degrading rout that topped it all off. Their once proud uniforms were in tatters, and what self respect they had were all but gone.

It began to rain; this was the final nail in the coffin for the poor soldiers, who saw it as an insult from the heavens themselves. But still, the exhausted soldiers had to haul themselves back home. Fortunately for them, the Viggens forces had neglected to pursue them, already regrouping and gathering more soldiers for the counterattack into Viking Fisheries school itself, so the ragtag force had to reinforce their defenses as soon as they could.

Oslofjord sat alone in the backseat, crying. She had shed her military uniform, which was tossed haphazardly across from her. There were tear stains on her cheek, and her face were red and puffy.

"Commander, please," The driver said somewhat harshly. "Please get yourself together. This was your first battle, what were you expecting?"

Oslofjord ignored her and continued sobbing. The driver relaxed her expression, and softened her voice. "You're just stressed. Let's just go home and rest." She sighed and pushed on the gas pedal.

"It's my fault," Oslofjord whimpered. "It's my fault half my army's dead. It's my fault we even came here."

The driver furrowed her eyes. _I guess it is true,_ she thought, but knew saying something so insensitive would further drive in her commander's despair. She had no response, and kept her eyes on the darkening road.

* * *

 **And so the battle ended, with Loki and Viggens victorious. They had lost 6,000 soldiers, a third of their entire force. But they had killed over 22,000 soldiers of Viking Fisheries, with more than 6,000 prisoners captured. With that, less than 15,000 soldiers under Oslofjord escaped back to Viking Fisheries that day, out of the original 46,000+ army.**

 **This victory would send shockwaves throughout Japan, and within a month Loki and her armies would be propelled to mythical status, with every enemy crumbling before them, and even Kuromorimine, Pravda and Saunders would fear for their own safety as a new superpower was born from that fateful day.**

 **For Viking Fisheries, this would be a only serve to turn Oslofjord into a laughingstock, even her allies pitying her.**

 **The battle of Kuzumaki would become one of the most humiliating battles in the entire war.**

* * *

 **Did you all enjoy that? This is what happens when you listen to nothing but Sabaton for two straight weeks. I have now decided Viggens will become an important player in the war, something I would not have expected otherwise. And yes, Loki is religious, Viggens will have a religious motif around them. If you hadn't figured out by now, I am basing Viggens around the Swedish Empire(** _ **stormaktstiden,**_ **or Era of Great Power in Swedish; damn, even their own name sounds badass), and Loki off of Carolus Rex/Charles XII, as well as Gustavus Adolphus. Don't judge, I am a huge history nerd. This story will not only be about the obvious WWII story, but of also other wars I've looked into(WWI, Napoleonic Wars, Great Northern War, etc) so expect more of this kind of stuff. This is also the longest chapter so far, just saying.**

 **Karoliner, or Caroleans in English were the infantrymen of Charles XI and Charles XII, who would utilize aggressive tactics to gain an advantage over the enemy. They would fire one volley of musket fire before they charged in with swords and bayonets. They were also very religious, as they did not drink and prayed everyday. They would eventually be wiped out in the aptly named "Carolean Death March", where thousands of Karoliners would freeze to death in the Norwegian mountains near the end of the Great Northern War.**

 **Hakkapeliitta were the Finnish light cavalry that fought for King Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Year's War.**

 **Thanks to RedSS and SeekerMeeker for helping me out with this particular chapter, and along with aGuestfromGreece45 always helping me out with my story. And until next time, Panzer Vor!**


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